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THE  NAiumL 
HISTORY  MUSEU&9 

2 4 AUG  2005 

PURCHASED 

TRIMS  UBRAHY 


Bulletin  of  the  African  Bird  Club 


Vol  12  No  2 August  2005 


Western  Black- 
headed Batis:  a 
separate  species 


Moroccan  Rare 
Birds  Report 


Additions  to  the 
avifauna  of  Mali 


Argan  woodland 


Yellow-billed 
Kites  in  Mali 


First  Asiatic 
Dowitcher  in 
Africa 


Discovery  of 
Cape  Verde 
Warbler  on  Fogo 


New  birds  for 
Niger 


American  Golden 
Plover  and 
Spectacled 
Warbler  in 
Mauritania 


Mali  Firefinch 


Hairy-breasted 

Barbet 


ISSN  1 352-481 XISSN  1 352-481 X 


rf)  African  Bird  Club 


The  African  Bird  Club  aims  to: 

• provide  a worldwide  focus  for  African  ornithology 

• encourage  an  interest  in  the  conservation  of  the  birds 
of  the  region 

• liaise  with  and  promote  the  work  of  existing  regional 
societies 

• publish  a twice-yearly  colour  bulletin 

• encourage  observers  to  visit  lesser  known  areas  of  the 
region 

• encourage  observers  to  actively  search  for  globally 
threatened  and  near-threatened  species 

• run  the  ABC  Conservation  Programme 

Registered  Charity  No  1053920 

ABC  particularly  wishes  to  thank  its  Corporate 
Sponsors  for  their  invaluable  financial  support  in  2005: 
Avian  Adventures,  Avifauna,  Birding  Africa,  Birdquest, 
Safariwise  Namibia,  Sunbird,  Tropical  Birding, 
WildSounds,  Wildwings  and  Zeiss. 


ABC  Council 

Keith  Betton  (Vice-Chairman),  John  Caddick  (Treasurer),  Elaine 
Cook,  Moira  Hargreaves,  Bill  Quantrill,  Geoff  Randall  (Secretary, 
co-opted),  Claire  Spottiswoode,  Neil  Thomas  (co-opted)  and 
Richard  Webb  (Chairman). 

Bulletin  Editorial  Board 

Chairman  of  the  Board:  Keith  Betton 
Managing  Editor:  Guy  Kirwan 
Assistant  Editor:  Ron  Demey 

David  Allan,  Mark  Andrews,  Chris  Bowden,  Callan  Cohen,  Lincoln 
Fishpool,  Peter  Lack,  Jeremy  Lindsell,  Roger  Safford,  Steph  Tyler  and 
Richard  Webb 

ABC  Membership 

Membership  is  open  to  all.  Annual  subscription  rates  are: 

Individual  Europe  & Africa:  UK£18  Rest  of  the  World:  UK£20 

Family  Europe  & Africa:  UK£21  Rest  of  the  World:  UK£23 

Student  Europe  & Africa:  UK£10  Rest  of  the  World:  UK£12 

Supporting  UK£30  minimum 
Life  UK£350 

To  join  or  for  further  details  please  visit  the  ABC  web  site  (where 
there  are  secure  online  payment  facilities)  or  write  to  the  Membership 
Secretary — see  contact  information  below. 

ABC  Website 

http : II  www. africanbirdclub.org 


Contact  ABC 

African  Bird  Club,  c/o  BirdLife  International,  Wellbrook  Court,  Girton  Road,  Cambridge  CB3  0NA. 

E-mail:  info@africanbirdclub.org  • website:  http://www.africanbirdclub.org 

Further  information  can  be  obtained  directly  from  individual  Council  members  by  writing  to  them  at  the  Club’s  postal 
address,  or  by  e-mail  as  follows: 


Chairman 

Richard  Webb 

chairman@africanbirdclub.org 

Secretary 

Geoff  Randall 

secretary@africanbirdclub.org 

Treasurer 

John  Caddick 

treasurer@africanbirdclub.org 

Bulletin  Editor 

Guy  Kirwan 

editor@africanbirdclub.org 

Conservation  Officer 

Steph  Tyler 

conservation@africanbirdclub.org 

Information  Officer 

Keith  Betton 

info@africanbirdclub.org 

Membership  Secretary 

Bill  Quantrill 

membership@africanbirdclub.org 

Sales  Officer 

Moira  Hargreaves 

sales@africanbirdclub.org 

Rutland  Officer 

Neil  Thomas 

rutland@africanbirdclub.org 

The  Bulletin  of  the  African  Bird  Club 


The  Bulletin  of  the  ABC  provides  a forum  for  news,  letters, 
notices,  recent  publications,  expedition  results,  reviews  and 
interim  publication  of  studies  on  African  birds  by  contribu- 
tors from  throughout  the  world.  Publication  of  results  in  the 
Bulletin  of  the  ABC  does  not  preclude  publication  of  final 
results  as  journal  papers  either  by  the  ABC  or  elsewhere.  No 


material  should,  however,  be  submitted  simultaneously  to  the 
Bulletin  of  the  ABC  and  to  any  other  publication. 

Brief  notes  for  contributors  appear  elsewhere  in  this  Bulletin 
and  further  details  are  available  from  the  Editor 
(editor@africanbirdclub.org) . 


©2005  Copyright  African  Bird  Club  and  contributors.  Quotations  should  carry  a full  acknowledgement.  No  part  etc  may  be 
reproduced,  copied  or  stored  in  a retrieval  system  without  the  prior  written  permission  of  the  Club  or  authors. 


Contents 

Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 


News  & Comment 

82  Club  News 

Compiled  by  Bill  Quantrill  and 
Keith  Betton 

85  Minutes  of  the  11th  AGM 

86  Advertising  Rates 

87  Club  Accounts 

88  Obituary 

J.  D.  Rae  Vernon 

88  Announcement 

89  ABC  Conservation  Fund 
92  Africa  Round-up 

Compiled  by  Ron  Demey  and 
Guy  Kirwan 

98  Corrigenda 

168  Little-known  African  bird: 
Mali  Firefinch 

Lagonosticta  virata 

Robert  B.  Payne 

172  Photospot: 

An  intermediate  form  of 
Hairy-breasted  Barbet 

Tricholaema  hirsuta 
L.  D.  C.  Fishpool 

174  Reviews 

176  Recent  Reports 

Compiled  by  Ron  Demey 

192  Notes  for  Contributors 
Front  cover  plate 

Moussier’s  Redstart 

Phoenicurus  moussieri 
by  Mark  Andrews 

Illustrations 

Craig  Robson 

Photographs 

P.  Beaubrun,  Arnoud  B.  van  den  Berg, 
Patrick  Bergier,  W.  S.  Clark,  Hugues 
Dufourny,  Mike  Flieg,  F Fornairon, 
Roger  Fotso,  P Geniez,  J.  S.  Hansen, 
Jens  Hering,  Clive  Kaplin,  A.  P. 
Leventis,  Willem  van  Manen,  Robert 
Payne,  Alain  Reygel,  Volker  Salewski, 
the  late  Rae  Vernon,  Richard  Webb, 
Giles  Willem  and  Edwin  Winkel 


HIS' 


Ml 


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2 4 AUG  2005 

PURCHASED 
TF8NG  LIBRARY 


Features 


99 

106 

119 

125 

134 

147 

150 

153 

156 

158 

162 


164 

166 


Western  Black-headed  Batis  Batis  erlangeri : a separate 
species  consisting  of  two  subspecies 

Michel  Louette 

Rare  birds  in  Morocco:  report  of  the  Moroccan 
Rare  Birds  Committee  (2001-2003) 

Patrick  Bergier,  Jacques  Franchimont,  Michel  Thevenot  and  the 
Moroccan  Rare  Birds  Committee 

Additions  to  the  avifauna  of  Mali 

Robert  J.  Dowsett  and  Frangoise  Dowsett-Lemaire 

Notes  on  breeding  and  food  of  Yellow-billed  Kite 

Milvus  migrans  parasitus  in  Mali 

Rob  G.  Bijlsma,  Willem  van  Manen  and  Jan  van  der  Kamp 

Argan  woodland:  an  important  bird  habitat  in  Morocco 

Rae  VernorJ,  Michel  Thevenot,  Patrick  Bergier  and  Emmanuel 
Rousseau 

Discovery  of  Cape  Verde  Warbler  Acrocephalus  brevipennis 
on  Fogo,  Cape  Verde  Islands 

Jens  and  Heidi  Hering 

Status  of  Beaudouin’s  Circaetus  beaudouini  and  Short-toed 
Snake  Eagles  C.  gallicus  in  Kenya 

William  S.  Clark,  David  Fisher,  Brian  Finch,  Bernd  de  Bruijn  and 
Itai  Shani 

Spectacled  Warbler  Sylvia  conspicillata  in  Mauritania: 
first  breeding  records 

Heiko  Schmaljohann  and  Volker  Salewski 

First  record  of  Asiatic  Dowitcher  Limnodromus  semipalmatus 
for  Africa 

Dave  Deighton 

First  record  of  American  Golden  Plover  Pluvialis  dominica 
for  Mauritania,  and  its  status  in  western  Africa 

Heiko  Schmaljohann  and  Marco  Thoma 

First  records  for  Niger  of  Red-chested  Cuckoo 

Cuculus  solitarius,  Grassland  Pipit  Anthus  cinnamomeus, 

Buff-bellied  Warbler  Phyllolais  pulchella  and  Isabelline 
Shrike  Lanius  isabellinus 

Kim  Diget  Christensen,  Anders  P.  Tottrup,  Marcel  C.  Rahner  and 
Joost  Brouwer 

First  record  of  Black-headed  Gull  Larus  ridibundus  for  Benin 

Ben  van  Muyen 

Premieres  observations  de  I’Aigrette  ardoisee  Egretta 
ardesiaca  au  Congo-Brazzaville 

Jerome  Mokoko  Ikonga  et  Hugo  J.  Rainey 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) -81 


Club  News 


Richard  Webb  becomes  ABC 
Chairman 

The  election  of  Richard  Webb  to 
succeed  Phil  Atkinson  as  Chairman 
of  ABC  brings  a founding  father 
back  to  head  the  Club.  Richard  was 
one  of  a small  group  of  birders  who, 
15  years  ago,  conceived  the  idea  of  a 
club  providing  a central  focus  for  the 
various  regional  and  national  bird 
societies  that  existed  in  Africa.  Once 
the  idea  was  born,  Richard’s  energy 
and  organisational  skills  as  Secretary, 
in  1992-96,  proved  invaluable  in 
helping  bring  the  project  to  fruition. 
It  is  great  news  that  the  same  quali- 
ties are  now  to  be  brought  to  the 
Club  chairmanship. 

Richard  has  been  an  active  birder 
for  at  least  30  years,  firstly  in 
Britain,  then  elsewhere  in  the 
Western  Palearctic,  before  going  on 
to  Africa  and  beyond.  He  has  visited 
the  ABC  region  20  times,  including 
ten  countries  in  mainland  Africa, 
Madagascar  and  five  of  the  Atlantic 
islands.  In  addition,  he  brings  his 
business  acumen  acquired  during  24 


years  work  in  the  financial  services 
industry — and  an  MBA  to  boot. 

On  rejoining  Council,  Richard 
was  pleased  to  note  that  the  Club 
has  evolved  very  much  on  the  lines 
envisaged  back  in  the  early  days.  He 
sees  this  as  offering  a platform  to 
take  the  Club  forward  to  the  next 
level  in  terms  of  the  contribution  we 
can  make  to  African  ornithology  and 
conservation.  He  aims  to  expand  our 
African  membership  but  realises 
that,  to  make  this  possible,  we  also 
need  more  members  in  the  rest  of 
the  world,  since  it  is  their  subscrip- 
tions that  make  it  possible  to  pro- 
vide support  to  more  Africans.  He 
also  believes  it  is  of  critical  impor- 
tance to  ensure  that  the  Club 
appeals  to  the  next  generation  of 
birders  and  conservationists,  so  that 
we  can  maintain  a good  balance 
across  the  whole  age  range. 

For  Richard,  the  main  strengths 
of  the  Club  are  the  membership,  the 
Bulletin  and  the  website — and  the 
reputation  founded  on  these 
strengths.  It  is  particularly  important 


that  we  maintain  the  balance 
between  our  appeal  to  the  scientific 
ornithological  community  and  our 
appeal  to  the  community  of  hobby 
birders. 

Richard  is  more  than  just  a bird 
freak,  also  being  fascinated  by 
mammals — particularly  the  cat  fami- 
ly, having  seen  23  of  the  world’s 
species  in  the  wild.  And  for  self- 
mortification, he  also  follows  the 
England  football  team,  at  home  and 
away. 

ABC  Website 

We  continue  to  improve  the  Club 
website  and  hope  that  all  Club 
members  visit  it  regularly.  A major 
new  initiative  was  launched  on 
schedule  at  the  AGM,  in  March, 
when  the  site  was  expanded  to 
include  a resource  base  containing 
information  for  every  country  in 
Africa.  This  is  a collaborative  ven- 
ture, developed  in  partnership  with 
one  of  our  sponsors,  Birding  Africa. 
The  entry  for  each  of  the  61  coun- 
tries contains  information  in  ten  cat- 
egories (General  Introduction, 
Species,  Hot-spots,  Reference 
Sources,  etc.) . Developing  this 
resource  took  a huge  effort  over  the 
course  of  a year,  involving  60  indi- 
viduals, who  assisted  this  complex 
operation — writing  the  texts,  design- 
ing and  setting  up  the  pages,  proof- 
reading the  contents  etc.  Thanks  are 
due  to  everybody  who  contributed, 
but  especially  to  John  Caddick  who 
masterminded  the  whole  operation. 

Reactions  to  the  site  have  been 
very  positive.  A typical  comment, 
from  a research  student,  was  “the 
way  it  facilitates  getting  the  type  of 
information  we  birders  need  is  great 
and  it  will  increase  my  confidence  to 
travel  to  Africa”.  Others  have  praised 
the  site  for  its  user-friendliness  and 
even  non-birders  have  said  how 
interesting  they  find  it.  But  what  we 
are  looking  for  is  not  so  much  bou- 


Figure  1.  Richard  Webb,  ABC’s  new  Chairman  (Richard  Webb)  / Richard 
Webb,  le  nouveau  president  du  ABC  (Richard  Webb) 


82  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Club  News 


quets,  encouraging  though  they  are, 
but  also  constructive  criticism.  We 
have  already  had  some  of  these — 
corrections  or  updates  of  particular 
details  or  suggestions  for  improve- 
ments in  the  layout  or  content.  We 
welcome  such  comments  and  will 
continue  to  upgrade  the  site  based 
on  your  feedback.  Please  look  in  par- 
ticular at  the  pages  relating  to  coun- 
tries with  which  you  are  familiar. 

In  parallel  with  this  new  develop- 
ment, we  have  also  launched  an  ID 
challenge  quiz  with  the  help  of 
Birding  Africa.  This  is  a quarterly 
challenge,  with  regular  prizes  plus  an 
annual  award  for  the  best  set  of 
answers  in  the  year.  Visit  the  website 
and  have  a go.  Our  next  project  is  to 
produce  a photographic  image  data- 
base, which  we  are  developing  in  col- 
laboration with  Birding  Explorers 
and,  again,  Birding  Africa.  As  well  as 
being  able  to  search  the  database, 
photographers  will  also  be  able  to 
load  their  own  images. 

AGM  2006 

Next  year’s  AGM  and  members’  day 
will  be  held  on  Saturday  1 1 March 
2006.  This  announcement  consti- 
tutes the  official  notification  as 
required  by  the  Club’s  Constitution. 
Full  details  of  the  AGM  agenda  and 
the  programme  for  the  day,  with 
information  concerning  venue  and 
timing,  will  be  posted  to  all  UK- 
resident  members  in  due  course.  To 
save  postage,  the  programme  will  not 
be  automatically  distributed  to 
members  living  outside  the  UK.  Any 
such  member  who  wishes  to  receive 
a copy  by  post  can  apply  to  the  Club 
Secretary.  Details  will  also  appear  on 
the  Club  website. 

E-mail  address  list 

With  our  membership  scattered 
around  the  world  in  over  60  coun- 
tries, postage  has  always  been  a 
major  expense.  As  a result,  commu- 
nication between  the  Club’s  Council 
and  membership  has  inevitably  been 
fairly  limited.  E-mail  offers  ABC  the 
possibility  of  cheap  two-way  com- 
munication with  members  through- 
out the  world,  but  only  if  we  have 
an  accurate  and  comprehensive 


Figure  2.  ABC  member  Maria  Mbilinyi  (left,  looking  through  telescope)  in 
the  field  with  the  Iringa  ‘Roots  and  Shoots’  group,  using  refurbished  binocu- 
lars donated  by  the  RSPB  and  transported  to  Tanzania  at  ABC’s  expense 
(Maria  Mbilinyi)  / Membre  de  l'ABC  Maria  Mbilinyi  (a  gauche,  avec  le  tele- 
scope) sur  le  terrain  avec  l'equipe  'Roots  and  Shoots'  d'lringa,  utilisant  des 
jumelles  mises  a neuf  et  donnees  par  le  RSPB  (partenaire  britannique  de 
BirdLife  International)  et  acheminees  en  Tanzanie  aux  frais  du  ABC  (Maria 
Mbilinyi) 


record  of  members’  e-mail  addresses. 
At  present  we  possess  just  over  600 
addresses  on  record,  i.e.  fewer  than 
half  our  total  membership — we  are 
sure  that  there  must  be  more  than 
50%  who  have  access  to  e-mail. 

Also,  on  the  last  occasion  when  we 
sent  a general  message  to  those 
addresses  nearly  100  bounced,  pre- 
sumably because  the  addresses  had 
been  changed  without  our  being 
informed.  Therefore,  if  you  have  not 
already  informed  ABC  of  your 
e-mail  address,  do  so  now  via 
membership@africanbirdclub.org, 
and,  if  your  address  changes,  please 
remember  to  include  the  Club 
among  those  you  inform. 

New  life  for  old  binoculars 

ABC  member  Maria  Mbilinyi 
sought  the  Club’s  help  to  obtain 
binoculars  and  field  guides  for  her 
local  ‘Roots  and  Shoots’  branch  in 
Iringa,  Tanzania.  ‘Roots  and  Shoots’ 
is  the  environmental  education  wing 
of  the  Jane  Goodall  Institute,  based 
in  Dar  es  Salaam  and  with  branches 
in  towns  around  the  country.  Maria 


is  organiser  of  the  Iringa  branch.  The 
Club  in  turn  sought  the  cooperation 
of  the  Royal  Society  for  Protection 
of  Birds  (BirdLife  International  part- 
ner in  the  UK),  who  provided  a 
selection  of  refurbished  binoculars 
from  their  recycling  scheme,  which 
ABC  then  sent  to  Tanzania,  together 
with  suitable  field  guides.  Maria  is 
shown  in  the  accompanying  photo 
with  members  of  her  local  group, 
making  good  use  of  this  material. 
The  Club  have  been  able  to  help  a 
number  of  groups  in  Africa  in  this 
way.  If  you  have  any  serviceable 
binoculars  or  telescopes  that  you  no 
longer  use,  may  we  encourage  you  to 
send  them  to  the  RSPB  for  subse- 
quent recycling. 

Former  Chairman  weds 

Phil  Atkinson,  who  stood  down  after 
seven  years  as  ABC  Chairman  at  the 
2005  AGM,  married  Sharon  King  in 
late  March.  We  send  them  our  con- 
gratulations and  best  wishes  for  their 
life  together. 


Club  News 


Bull  ABC  1/0/ 12  No  2 (2005) -83 


Strategy  Meeting 

Past  and  present  members  of  ABC 
Council  met  in  London  on  23  April 
to  plot  the  way  ahead  for  the  Club 
over  the  next  five  years.  This  was  the 
second  such  meeting — the  first  was 
held  at  Minsmere  in  summer  2000 — 
where  a cross-section  of  people 
involved  in  the  running  of  the  Club 
took  the  opportunity  to  look  beyond 
day-to-day  issues  and  consider  the 
broader  picture. 

The  meeting  began  by  reassessing 
the  Club’s  aims  and  target  member- 
ship. The  statement  of  Club  aims  on 
the  inside  front  cover  of  the  Bulletin 
has  remained  unchanged  since  the 
first  issue  in  1994.  The  aims  are,  of 
course,  derived  from  the  Club  consti- 
tution, and  the  statement  has  stood 
the  test  of  time.  Nonetheless,  it  was 
felt  more  backbone  was  needed  by 
making  the  aims  less  aspirational  and 
more  like  firm  targets.  A revised 
wording  was  drawn  up  and  will  be 
put  to  Council  for  approval. 

Concerning  our  target  member- 
ship, experience  over  the  past  decade 
has  shown  that  we  aim  to  appeal  to 
three  distinct  categories  of  potential 
members:  academic  ornithologists, 
hobby  birders  and  professionals.  The 
general  view  was  that  we  probably 
have  about  the  right  balance  between 
the  requirements  of  these  various 
groups  and  we  should  not  make  any 
changes  that  might  shift  the  balance 
to  favour  one  category  or  another. 
Nonetheless,  there  is  scope  for  doing 
more  on  the  scientific  side  as  an  addi- 
tion to,  rather  than  in  replacement 
of,  what  we  are  doing  at  present.  This 
possibility  is  to  be  the  subject  of  fur- 
ther study,  bearing  in  mind  the  cost 
implications. 

Having  thus  reaffirmed  the  gener- 
al modus  operandi,  the  meeting  went 
on  to  consider  whether  changes  are 
called  for  in  some  of  the  details — the 
design  and  layout  of  the  Bulletin, 
whether  we  are  making  the  best  use 
of  modern  technology  in  our  website 
and  the  way  we  communicate  with 
our  members,  whether  we  should  be 
doing  more  to  promote  the  Club 
through  more  meetings,  participation 


at  more  conferences  and  fairs,  more 
published  articles,  whether  we  are 
pursuing  the  right  policies  in  our 
conservation  programme,  etc.  By  the 
end  of  the  day,  a series  of  recommen- 
dations had  been  drawn  up  for 
Council’s  consideration.  Expect  to  see 
some  changes  in  2006 — but  nothing 
that  will  fundamentally  alter  the 
character  of  the  Club. 

Corporate  Sponsors 

Information  about  our  Corporate 
Sponsors  can  be  found  on  the  inside 
front  cover  of  the  Bulletin  and  on  the 
Club’s  website.  We  are  pleased  to  wel- 
come two  new  sponsors  this  year. 
Avian  Adventures  are  a specialist 
company  whose  extensive  programme 
includes  tours  to  Botswana,  Gambia, 
Ghana,  Kenya,  Malawi,  Namibia  and 
South  Africa.  Tropical  Birding  is  a 
South  Africa-based  company  who 
place  a particular  emphasis  on  con- 
servation. They  have  recently  started 
a local  black  empowerment  initiative 
called  Sugarbird  Tours  offering  local 
guiding  in  South  Africa.  All  our 
Corporate  Sponsors  provide  valuable 
support  and  we  encourage  ABC 
members  to  make  use  of  their  servic- 
es wherever  appropriate.  For  more 
information  about  corporate  sponsor- 
ship, contact  Elaine  Cook,  ABC 
Publicity  Officer. 

ABC  London  Meeting  and  AGM 

Some  80  members  and  guests  attend- 
ed the  11th  AGM  and  London 
Meeting  of  the  Club  in  March  2005. 
This  is  the  largest  attendance  in  the 
last  seven  years,  although  heavy 
snowfall  the  previous  day  had  threat- 
ened to  make  it  one  of  the  smallest! 

The  first  speaker  was  Bob 
Medland  who  talked  on  the  birds  of 
Malawi.  He  explained  how  this  rela- 
tively small  country  remains  a great 
birding  destination.  Bob  discussed  a 
number  of  key  areas  such  as  the 
Nyika  plateau  in  the  northern  high- 
lands through  miombo  Brachystegia 
woodlands  at  mid  altitudes  and 
mopane  woodlands  in  the  lowlands. 
Of  particular  interest  were  the  areas 
of  montane  evergreen  forest  which 


provide  the  biggest  attraction  to  visit- 
ing birders.  This  scarce  habitat  is 
declining  in  extent  and  the  loss 
threatens  the  Cholo  Alethe  Alethe 
choloensis , East  Coast  Akalat 
Sheppardia  gunningi  and  Spotted 
Ground  Thrush  Zoothera  guttata. 
Other  species  he  focused  on  included 
White-chested  Alethe  Alethe  fuelle- 
borni , Olive-flanked  Robin  Chat 
Cossypha  anomala , White-winged 
Apalis  Apalis  chariessa,  Green-headed 
Oriole  Oriolus  chlorocephalus  and 
Bertram’s  Weaver  Ploceus  bertrandi. 

Peter  Lack  then  discussed  the 
extraordinary  journeys  made  by  hun- 
dreds of  millions  of  birds  that 
migrate  to  Africa  for  the  winter 
months.  Taking  a number  of  exam- 
ples to  demonstrate  the  various 
routes  Peter  explained  the  reasons 
behind  these  amazing  journeys  and 
outlined  some  of  the  challenges  faced 
by  birds  in  order  to  stay  alive. 

Mike  Smart  gave  a brief  outline  of 
the  now-published  checklist  on  the 
birds  of  Tunisia  which  he  had  been 
working  on  with  several  colleagues. 
He  presented  an  overview  of  Tunisia’s 
main  ornithological  attractions  and, 
in  particular,  the  importance  of  its 
wetlands  for  species  such  as  Marbled 
Duck  Marmaronetta  angustirostris. 

Finally,  Hilary  Fry  expounded  on 
his  great  enthusiasm  for  bee-eaters. 

He  explained  how  1 9 of  the  world’s 
26  bee-eaters  are  found  in  the  African 
continent,  although  personally  he 
questioned  the  splitting  of  the  north- 
ern and  southern  forms  of  Carmine 
Bee-eater  (i.e.  Merops  nubicus  and  M. 
nubicoides,  the  latter  being  a race  of 
the  former  in  his  view).  These 
colourful  and  popular  birds  had  fasci- 
nated him  since  he  first  moved  to 
Nigeria  in  the  1960s.  He  informed 
about  their  ecology — from  using 
helpers  at  the  nest  to  the  dynamics  of 
their  colonial  lifestyle.  It  was  an 
entertaining  end  to  a popular  and 
informative  day. 

Keith  Betton 


84  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Club  News 


Minutes  of  the  11th  AGM  of  the  African  Bird  Club 

held  at  the  Association  of  British  Travel  Agents  (ABTA) 

68-71  Newman  Street,  London  W1  at  14.00  hrs  on  5 March  2005 


Present 

The  following  registered  their  atten- 
dance at  the  meeting:  J.  Max  Allan, 
Desmond  Allen,  Jono  Angliss,  Phil 
Atkinson,  Helen  Baker,  M.  J. 

Barden,  David  Barker,  Mary  Anne 
Bartlett,  Chris  Bell,  P.  J.  Belman, 
Keith  Betton,  Richard  Bosanquet, 
Flip  Bruce  Lockhart,  Caroline  & 
John  Caddick,  Peter  Cherry, 

Anthony  Cizek,  Kathleen  Claydon, 
Nigel  Cleere,  Chris  Collins,  Simon 
Davidson,  Peter  Dedicoat,  Ron 
Demey,  Hugh  Doulton,  S.  John 
Farnsworth,  Lincoln  Fishpool,  David 
Fox,  Julian  Francis,  Hilary  Fry, 
Wenceslas  Gatarabirwa,  Martin 
Gauntlett,  Brian  Gee,  Tony  Gibbs, 
Howard  Ginn,  John  Hammick, 
Moira  Hargreaves,  Roy  Hargreaves, 
Alan  Harman,  Stephen  Harrington, 
David  Healey,  Alastair  Henderson, 
Roger  Higman,  Mr  & Mrs  A. 
Holcombe,  Stan  Howe,  Nicholas 
Kassim  Iddi,  Peter  Jones,  Michael 
Kings,  Guy  Kirwan,  Peter  Lack,  Mrs 
P.  A.  Lawson,  Russell  Leavett,  A.  P. 
Leventis,  Michel  Louette,  Stephen 
Lowe,  Duncan  Macdonald,  Bob 
Medland,  Andy  Merritt,  Aulikki 
Nahkola,  Anne  Nason,  John  Parish, 
Eric  Pilcher,  David  Porter, 

Madeleine  Prangley,  Bill  Quantrill, 
Rowena  Quantrill,  Trevor  Rackstraw, 
Bev  & Geoff  Randall,  Nigel 
Redman,  David  Salmon,  Keith 
Seaton,  Claire  Spottiswoode,  Dave 
Stoddard,  Rita  Swinnen,  Craig 
Symes,  Toby  Tebbit,  Neil  & Jill 
Thomas,  Steph  Tyler,  Richard  Webb 
and  Alan  Williams. 

1.  Apologies  for  Absence 

Apologies  were  received  from:  Chris 
Bowden,  Douglas  Buchanan,  Elaine 
Cook,  Stan  Fourie,  Joan  Howie, 
Yvonne  Savidge,  Hazell  Thompson, 
Barbara  Woodcock  and  Martin 
Woodcock. 


2.  Minutes  of  the  Last  Meeting 

The  Minutes  of  the  last  meeting 
were  taken  as  read  and  approved 
unanimously. 

3.  Matters  arising 

There  were  no  matters  arising. 

4.  Report  of  Council  for  2004 

In  introducing  the  report,  copies  of 
which  had  been  distributed  at  the 
meeting  and  in  which  he  thanked 
those  Council  members  standing 
down  for  their  efforts  over  past  years, 
the  Chairman  said  that  2004  had 
been  another  very  successful  year  for 
the  Club.  On  membership,  he 
remarked  that  a slight  decline  in 
numbers  had  also  been  experienced 
by  some  of  the  other  bird  clubs.  ABC 
is  very  concerned  to  boost  member- 
ship in  Africa  and  to  make  the  Club 
more  accessible,  and  is  working  to 
establish  more  Local  Payment 
Schemes  and  to  increase  the  number 
of  Supporting  Members.  Bill 
Quantrill  had  represented  the  Club 
at  the  Pan-African  Ornithological 
Congress  (PAOC)  held  in  Tunisia  in 
November  2004.  Because  the  PAOC 
is  the  most  significant  date  for  scien- 
tific ornithology  in  Africa,  Council 
will  set  aside  £1,000  each  year  in 
order  to  increase  support  for,  and 
involvement  in,  the  Congress.  The 
Chairman  reported  that  the  new 
ABC  website  birding  portal  had  just 
gone  live;  the  Club  is  working  on 
integrating  a photographic  database, 
and  an  announcement  would  be 
made  in  the  Bulletin  and  via  the 
AfricanBirding  group  e-mail.  The 
Chairman  also  noted  that  Council  is 
searching  for  someone  to  serve  as 
Rutland  Officer,  organising  the 
Club’s  attendance  at  the  Rutland 
Bird  Fair. 

The  Chairman  thanked  the 
Club’s  corporate  sponsors  and 
WildSounds,  and  all  those  who  had 
generously  sponsored  the 
Conservation  Fund’s  work  in  2004, 
particularly  Mr  A.  P.  Leventis,  The 


Wetland  Trust  and  AviFauna.  We 
shall  be  continuing  to  look  for 
funds;  four  good  projects  are  in  the 
pipeline  and  details  will  soon  be  on 
the  website.  The  Chairman  also 
thanked  ABTA  for  use  of  their  meet- 
ing rooms  and  Crowes  (printers  of 
the  Bulletin ),  and  everyone  who  had 
volunteered  at  Rutland  and  at  the 
AGM. 

In  response  to  a comment  from 
Stan  Howe  underlining  the  impor- 
tance of  doing  more  to  encourage 
and  assist  promising  young  African 
ornithologists  and  ecologists  by 
sponsoring  them  for  supported 
membership,  the  Chairman  urged 
members  to  put  forward  names  and 
details. 

5.  Presentation  of  the  Accounts 
for  2004  and  Treasurer’s  Report 

In  presenting  the  Accounts,  copies  of 
which  had  been  distributed  at  the 
meeting,  the  Treasurer  reported  that 
the  format  had  changed  in  line  with 
the  Charity  Commissioners’  require- 
ments under  SORP  2000  (Statement 
of  Recommended  Practice  for  chari- 
ties). It  had  been  an  excellent  year 
for  the  Club.  Income  was  extremely 
good,  up  c.50%  on  2003:  donations 
and  Gift  Aid  had  increased;  subscrip- 
tion income  went  up  reflecting  the 
increase  in  membership  fees;  sales 
figures  had  almost  doubled,  particu- 
larly via  the  internet,  where  back 
issues  of  the  Bulletin , the  new  T- 
shirts  and  tote  bags  had  all  sold  well. 
Management  and  administration 
costs  have  also  increased,  in  part  due 
to  the  volume  of  credit  card  income 
on  which  the  Club  pays  bank 
charges  for  each  transaction.  In  sum- 
ming up,  the  Treasurer  sounded  a 
note  of  caution.  Whilst  it  had  indeed 
been  a very  good  year  overall,  a 
number  of  2004  items,  representing 
some  UK£4,000  in  total,  will  not  be 
repeatable  in  2005:  there  had  been 
two  large  anonymous  donations; 
UK£1,000  had  been  returned  from 
an  uncompleted  Conservation  Fund 


Club  News 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) -85 


project;  a backlog  of  additional  Gift 
Aid  had  been  claimed;  Bulletin  costs 
were  lower,  owing  to  an  error  during 
the  printing  process;  and  a particu- 
larly successful  sales  line  had  been 
introduced. 

In  response  to  a query  from 
Simon  Davidson,  the  Membership 
Secretary  confirmed  that  two-thirds 
of  our  UK  membership  had  signed 
Gift  Aid  forms  and  that  every  oppor- 
tunity is  taken  to  remind  members 
of  the  benefit  to  the  Club  of  the  Gift 
Aid  option;  but  a number  are  ineligi- 
ble. There  were  no  other  questions, 
and  the  Accounts  for  2004  were 
approved  unanimously. 

6.  Election  of  Council 

The  following  were  unanimously 
elected  to  the  African  Bird  Club 
Council  for  2005:  Keith  Betton, 
John  Caddick,  Elaine  Cook,  Moira 
Hargreaves,  Bill  Quantrill,  Claire 
Spottiswoode,  Richard  Webb. 


7.  Election  of  Executive  Officers 


The  following  were  unanimously 
elected  as  Executive  Officers  of  the 


Club  for  2005: 
Chairman: 
Vice-Chairman: 
Treasurer: 
Secretary: 


Richard  Webb 
Keith  Betton 
John  Caddick 
Bill  Quantrill 


8.  Appointment  of  Auditor 

Messrs  Burton  Sweet  was  again 
unanimously  elected  as  Independent 
Examiners  for  2005. 


9.  Any  Other  Business 

The  Club  needs  volunteers  to  help  at 
the  Rutland  Bird  Fair,  19-21 
August;  please  contact  Moira 
Hargreaves  (via  sales@africanbird- 
club.org)  if  you  can  spare  some  time. 

The  Club  wishes  to  build-up  its 
Library;  please  make  contact  (via 
info@africanbirdclub.org)  if  you 
have  any  unwanted  African  journals. 

The  out-going  Chairman  declared 
the  meeting  officially  closed  at  14.30 
hrs. 


The  Vice-Chairman  then  pro- 
posed a vote  of  thanks  to  Phil 
Atkinson  for  the  magnificent  job  he 
had  done  in  moving  the  Club  for- 
ward to  become  a thriving  organisa- 
tion with  members  in  33  African 
countries,  Local  Payment  Schemes  in 
five  countries  and  plans  for  two 
more,  and  which  had  made 
Conservation  Fund  awards  for  many 
thousands  of  pounds.  He  presented 
Phil  with  a small  gift  in  token  of 
Council’s  appreciation.  Amid  accla- 
mation, Phil  thanked  Council  and 
the  meeting,  stating  that  he  would 
remain  involved  with  ABC  through 
organising  the  new  website.  His  own 
background  and  major  input  to  the 
Club  had  involved  conservation; 
change  was  healthy  and  the  new 
Chairman  would  take  the  Club  for- 
ward in  further  directions.  Phil  stat- 
ed that  he  would  like  to  see  ABC 
develop  its  core  format  themes,  get 
more  birding  back  into  the  Club  and 
into  the  Bulletin,  and  encourage  peo- 
ple in  Africa. 


Advertise  in  the  Bulletin  of  the  ABC 


All  advertisements  must  be  sent  prepaid  (cheques  made 
payable  to  the  African  Bird  Club)  as  high-resolution  hard 
copy  or  on  floppy  disk/CD  to: 

The  Advertising  Officer,  African  Bird  Club, 
do  BirdLife  International,  Wellbrook  Court, 

Girton  Road,  Cambridge  CB3  ONA,  UK. 

If  adverts  are  sent  on  floppy  disk/CD  we  can  accept 
QuarkXpress  6.5,  Pagemaker  7,  CorelDrawlO  files,  PDF  or 
unformatted  ASCII  text  files  and  uncompressed  TIF 
graphics  files. 

The  current  rates  are  as  follows  and  are  based  on  a print 
run  of  1 ,400  copies.  These  rates  are  guaranteed  for  the 
March  2006  Bull  ABC. 

Please  address  all  queries  to  the  Advertising  Officer  at  the 
above  address. 


African  Bird  Club  Advertising  Rates 


Black  & white 
Full-page 

£95 

(210 

x 145mm) 

Half-page 

£60 

(100 

x 145mm) 

Quarter-page 

£40 

(100 

x 70mm) 

Eighth-page 

£25 

(50 

x 70mm) 

Colour 

Please  contact  the  Club's  Advertising  Officer  at  the  address 
given  above  left. 

Copy  deadlines 

Spring  Bulletin  1 5 January 

Autumn  Bulletin  05  June 


86  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Club  News 


Statement  of  financial  activities— year  ended  31  December  2004 


Unrestricted 

Restricted 

Total  funds 

Total  funds 

Funds 

Funds 

2004 

2003 

£ 

£ 

£ 

£ 

Incoming  resources 
Donations 

9,871 

1,078 

10,949 

3,720 

Activities  in  furtherance  of  Charity's  objects 
Subscriptions 

Activities  for  generating  funds 

18,366 

- 

18,366 

16,231 

Sales  and  other  revenue 

7,011 

- 

7,011 

3,715 

Interest  receivable 

492 

- 

492 

282 

Total  incoming  resources 

33,740 

1,078 

36,818 

23,948 

Resources  expended 

Cost  of  generating  funds 
Trading  expenditure 
Charitable  expenditure 

2,602 

- 

2,602 

1,361 

Cost  of  activities  in  furtherance 
of  Charity’s  objects 

22,801 

350 

23,151 

19,250 

Support  costs 

2,657 

- 

2,657 

2,487 

Management  and  administration 

1,403 

- 

1,403 

996 

Total  resources  expended 

29,463 

350 

29,813 

24,094 

Net  incoming/(outgoing)  resources 

6,277 

728 

7,005 

(146) 

Total  funds  at  1 January  2004 

658 

- 

658 

804 

Total  funds  at  3 1 December  2004 

6,935 

728 

7,663 

658 

Balance  sheet- 

-year  ended  31  December  2004 

2004 

2003 

£ 

£ 

Current  assets 
Stock 

2,226 

2,332 

Cash  at  bank 

20,648 

13,592 

22,874 

15,924 

Creditors:  amounts  falling  due  within  one  year 

(5,711) 

(5,426) 

Net  current  assets 

17,163 

10,498 

Creditors:  amounts  falling  due  after  one  year 

(9,500) 

(9,840) 

Net  assets 

7,663 

658 

Unrestricted  funds 
Club  Fund 

3,396 

(285) 

Conservation  Fund 

3,539 

943 

6,935 

658 

Restricted  funds 

728 

- 

7,663 

658 

A full  copy  of  the  annual  report  of  the  Trustees  and  financial  statements  can  be  obtained  from  the  Club  Treasurer. 


Club  Accounts 


Bull  ABC  Vo!  12  No  2 (2005) -87 


Obituary: 

J.  D.  Rae  Vernon  1929-2005 


Rae  Vernon,  who  made  many  contri- 
butions to  field  ornithology  in 
Morocco,  died  on  8 March  2005. 

He  was  born  in  South  Wales  in  1 929 
and  read  Zoology  at  the  University 
of  Wales,  Cardiff.  Until  his  retire- 
ment in  1989,  he  was  an  Advisory 
Entomologist  with  the  UK  Ministry 
of  Agriculture's  advisory  service  with 
a special  interest  in  fruit  pests.  A 
great  part  of  his  life  was  dedicated  to 
birds  and  he  travelled  widely  in  both 


the  Old  and  New  Worlds,  especially 
in  North  Africa.  He  first  visited 
Morocco  in  1965  and  fell  in  love 
with  its  people  and  the  extensive 
range  of  habitats,  from  the  High 
Atlas  to  the  coastal  plains,  with  their 
diversity  of  birds  and  other  fauna.  In 
1 966  he  led  one  of  the  first  organ- 
ised bird  tours  of  Morocco.  He  sub- 
sequently made  several  personal  trips 
there  and  gained  a great  knowledge 
of  its  avifauna.  He  was  country  cor- 


respondent for  Morocco  for  The 
Birds  of  the  Western  Palearctic  and 
BWP  Concise.  In  addition  to  papers 
published  in  French  or  English  jour- 
nals, he  was  a co-author  of  The  Birds 
of  Morocco  (BOU  Checklist  No.  20), 
published  in  2003,  and  was  a key 
member  of  the  Moroccan  Rare  Birds 
Committee. 

Michel  Thevenot  and  Patrick  Bergier 


ANNOUNCEMENT 


James  F.  Clements 
1927-2005 

On  9 June,  James  F.  Clements, 
author  of  the  widely  used  Birds  of 
the  World — A Check  List , died  in 
hospital  in  California  from  compli- 
cations associated  with  acute  myloid 
leukaemia.  He  was  born  in  New 
York  on  31  October  1927,  joined 
the  Merchant  Marine  at  age  15,  and 


later  shifted  to  the  navy.  He  moved 
to  California  in  1952  where  he 
eventually  became  a partner  in  a 
successful  printing  firm.  He  received 
his  PhD  in  1975  and  his  thesis 
became  the  first  edition  of  his 
famous  Check  List  which  has  since 
sold  five  editions.  After  retiring  in 
1988  he  founded  Ibis  Publishing 
Company  and  produced  a number 


of  books,  including  A Field  Guide  to 
the  Birds  of  Peru.  He  was  past  presi- 
dent of  many  civic  organisations 
including  the  San  Diego  Museum  of 
Natural  History  and  the  Explorer's 
Clubs  of  Los  Angeles  and  San 
Diego.  The  recently  described 
Iquitos  Gnatcatcher  Polioptila 
clementsi  is  named  in  his  honour. 


88  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Announcements 


t African  Bird  Club  Conservation  Fund 


Status  of  Blue  Swallow  Hirundo  atrocaerulea 
in  Nyika  National  Park,  Malawi 

In  early  2004  ABC  awarded  UK£800  to  Potiphar 
M.  Kaliba,  senior  ornithologist  at  the  Museums 
of  Malawi,  to  undertake  a short  study  of  Blue 
Swallow  Hirundo  atrocaerulea  in  Nyika  National 
Park.  The  following  report  is  a condensed  version 
of  that  received. 

In  Malawi,  the  Nyika  Plateau  and  Mulanje 
Mountains  hold  large  breeding  populations  of 
Blue  Swallow,  estimated  by  Dowsett-Lemaire  at 
300-400  pairs.  Nyika  National  Park  is  among 
the  species’  strongholds.  The  study  was  conduct- 
ed in  January  (ten  days)  and  February  (six  days) 
2004  to  establish  current  threats  to,  and  the  sta- 
tus of,  Blue  Swallow  in  the  park.  Fifty-nine  Blue 
Swallows  were  recorded,  but  the  survey  period 
was  short  and  did  not  cover  the  dry  season. 
Interviews  with  local  people  revealed  that  the 
species  occurs  over  the  entire  grassland  of  the 
Nyika  plateau.  Birds  were  commonly  observed  in 
areas  with  many  Aardvark  Orycteropus  afer  holes 
and  it  was  also  reported  that  the  birds  are  used 
for  medicinal  purposes,  as  well  as  food  in  some 
circumstances.  Blue  Swallow  faces  other  chal- 
lenges, despite  the  area  being  a national  park. 
The  impacts  of  seasonal  burning  by  park  staff 
and  habitat  change  due  to  invasive  plants  require 
investigation.  More  positively,  local  people  are 
now  more  involved  in  park  management  and  are 
developing  a sense  of  ownership  which  has  been 
achieved  through  Community  Based  Natural 
Resource  Management  (CBNRM)  and  has 
worked  very  well  in  Nyika. 

Cape  Griffon  Vultures  in  Namibia 

The  ABC  Expedition  Award  2004  was  made  to 
an  Oxford  University  group  who  worked  with 
the  Rare  and  Endangered  Species  Trust  (REST) 
to  determine  the  population  densities  and  distri- 
bution of  Cape  Griffon  Gyps  coprotheres , Lappet- 
faced Torgos  tracheliotus  and  White-backed 
Vulture  Gyps  africanus  colonies  around  the 
1 1 ,000-ha  Waterberg  Plateau  Park,  in  Namibia, 
and  undertook  a local  publicity  campaign  for 
vulture-friendly  habitat. 


Team  members  were  responsible  for  organising 
and  recording  activity  at  vulture  feeding  stations, 
organising  an  aerial  survey  of  nests  of  White- 
backed  and  Lappet- faced  Vultures,  and  a Local 
Awareness  Project  with  local  schools,  as  well  as 
assisting  with  other  general  projects.  Nine  vul- 
ture feeding  stations  were  established  during  the 
expedition,  with  off-cuts  from  the  local  abattoir 
being  mostly  used  as  food.  At  each  station  a tally 
of  all  birds  entering  and  leaving  was  kept,  as  well 
as  a record  of  all  ringed  birds  seen,  which  should 
enable  REST  to  identify  any  patterns  of  reoccur- 
rence and  to  gauge  how  artificial  feeding  stations 
affect  the  numbers  of  vultures  visiting  an  area. 
The  data  also  permitted  an  estimate  of  the  mini- 
mum population  of  White-backed  Vulture  in  the 
region,  which  appears  to  be  currently 
4,000-3,000  birds.  Aggressive  interactions,  feed- 
ing behaviour  and  crop  size  of  Lappet-faced  and 
Cape  Griffon  Vultures  were  recorded.  REST  has 
been  investigating  a hypothesis  that  Lappet-faced 
Vultures  are  critical  in  initiating  vulture  feeding, 
other  species  of  vulture  being  less  likely  to  com- 
mence feeding  if  a Lappet-faced  is  not  present. 

The  aerial  survey  produced  useful  data  on  the 
distribution  and  type  of  vulture  nests  in  and 
around  the  area,  with  GPS  readings  being  taken 
for  all  nests.  These  data  will  permit  REST  to 
monitor  the  nests  and  direct  their  conservation 
efforts  accordingly. 

The  Local  Awareness  Project  became  one  of 
the  main  focuses  of  the  expedition  and  was  very 
successful.  All  primary  schools  in  the  local  town 
of  Otjiwarongo  were  contacted  and  a presenta- 
tion on  rare  and  endangered  species,  featuring 
Cape  Griffon  Vulture  and  other  Namibian  ani- 
mals, was  made  at  each.  The  children  were  very 
responsive,  and  the  six  winners  of  an  art  compe- 
tition, in  which  children  painted  designs  on 
locally  produced  cotton  bags,  will  have  their 
efforts  printed  on  bags  sold  in  local  supermar- 
kets, spreading  the  REST  message  even  further. 
Helena  Shigweda,  a conservation  student  from 
Windhoek  Polytechnic  was  a great  asset  to  the 
expedition,  helping  enormously  with  the  aware- 
ness project  and  at  the  vulture  feeding  stations. 


ABC  Conservation  Fund 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  -89 


Conservation  biology  of  the  Endangered 
Madagascar  Plover  Charadrius  thoracicus 

and  promoting  public  awareness  of 
wetland  conservation  in  Madagascar 

Sama  Zefania,  in  association  with  ASITY, 
received  UK£998  to  undertake  work  on 
Madagascar  Plover  Charadrius  thoracicus  in  col- 
laboration with  BirdLife  International 
Madagascar,  in  April-November  2004.  An  edit- 
ed version  of  his  report  abstract  appears  below. 

The  main  objectives  were  to  establish  a pop- 
ulation study  and  initiate  a programme  of  public 
awareness.  A total  12  nests  was  found:  nine  at 
Marambitsy  Bay  (April-May),  one  at  Mahavavy 
Delta  (September)  and  two  again  at  Marambitsy 
Bay  (in  November).  The  data  strongly  suggest 
that  Madagascar  Plovers  do  not  breed  in 
June-August.  Of  the  12  nests,  11  had  1-2  eggs 
and  one  nest  had  a chick.  None  of  the  1 1 nests 
with  eggs  at  Marambitsy  Bay  appeared  to  raise 
any  young,  although  whether  the  eggs  were  pre- 
dated or  taken  by  local  people  is  unknown.  No 
predators  were  observed,  but  some  areas  are  near 
villages  and  wild  cats  and  dogs  may  visit  the  site 
and  village  nocturnally.  Future  studies  will 
endeavour  to  document  predation  via  studies  of 
eggshell  fragments.  Eggs  in  one  nest  survived 
beyond  one  month  at  Mahavavy  Delta;  these 
were  probably  infertile  or  their  embryos  died 
during  early  development.  Based  on  this,  hatch- 
ing appears  very  low  (c.8%).  Data  should  be  col- 
lected on  hatching  and  fledging  success  over  a 
longer  period  and  at  other  sites.  The  biology  of 
Madagascar  Plover  (low  breeding  success,  slow 
egg  development,  scattered  breeding  popula- 
tions) makes  it  particularly  vulnerable  to  extinc- 
tion. In  addition,  Marambitsy  Bay  is  unprotect- 
ed, so  urgent  action  is  required  to  rectify  this. 

To  improve  public  awareness  of  conservation 
in  Marambitsy  Bay,  Sama  met  local  people  and 
the  president  of  the  village  to  explain  his  project 
to  them  and  explain  the  importance  of  the  area 
for  other  locally  threatened  waterbirds.  This  new 
awareness  will  facilitate  future  projects  for  the 
conservation  of  Madagascar  Plover  and  other 
species. 

Translocation  project  in  the  Seychelles 

The  following  report  is  a summary  of  that  sent  to 
ABC  by  Kerstin  Henri,  Project  Coordinator  for 


Nature  Seychelles.  Helicopter  costs  were  part- 
funded  by  ABC  through  the  support  of 
AviFauna. 

The  globally  threatened  Seychelles  Warbler 
Acrocephalus  sechellensis  and  Seychelles  Fody 
Foudia  sechellarum  are  restricted  to  relatively 
small  islands  free  of  introduced  mammalian 
predators  (cats  and  rats).  In  the  past,  transloca- 
tion has  been  used  as  a successful  tool  in  the  con- 
servation of  these  species,  with  Seychelles 
Warbler  having  recovered  from  a population 
nadir  of  fewer  than  30  individuals  restricted  to 
one  island  (Cousin),  in  1970,  to  several  thousand 
on  three  islands  today.  Seychelles  Fody  was 
translocated  from  Cousin  to  Aride  in  2000  and 
the  population  currently  numbers  c.4,000  on  five 
islands.  The  Action  Plans  for  these  species  recog- 
nise that  existing  populations  were  approaching, 
or  had  already  reached,  saturation,  and  that  the 
only  way  to  increase  total  numbers  was  to  estab- 
lish new  island  populations.  Until  recently, 
because  rats  and  cats  were  distributed  through- 
out the  archipelago  (except  on  a few  small 
islands),  few  opportunities  for  this  existed.  In 
2002,  rats  were  eradicated  from  Denis.  Although 
once  covered  by  coconut  plantations,  Denis  also 
has  extensive  native  woodland,  which  has  been 
enhanced  through  habitat  management. 

In  late  February  47  fodies  were  caught  on 
Fregate  and  transported  by  plane  to  Denis.  No 
losses  were  sustained  during  holding  and  transfer. 
Food  was  provided  on  Denis,  but  the  fodies  did 
not  take  it,  apparently  preferring  the  abundant 
natural  supply.  Post-translocation  monitoring 
indicates  that  several  pairs  have  already  bred  suc- 
cessfully, suggesting  that  a self-sustaining  popula- 
tion is  becoming  established.  Some  38  Seychelles 
Warblers  were  caught  on  Cousin  in  late 
May-June  and  transferred  by  helicopter  to 
Denis.  All  were  released  in  good  condition  and 


90  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


ABC  Conservation  Fund 


have  been  monitored  intensively  since  release; 
several  pairs  have  already  bred.  In  fact,  the  first 
such  activity  was  observed  just  days  after  arrival 
on  Denis.  All  indications  are  that  a self- 
sustaining  population  is  establishing. 

The  fody  translocation  was  undertaken 
entirely  by  local  staff  from  Nature  Seychelles  and 
the  islands  of  Fregate,  Denis  and  Cousin.  Skills 
gained  during  the  translocations  are  invaluable 
and  are  now  available  within  Seychelles  to  under- 
take future  work.  Denis  has  expanded  its  conser- 
vation team  and  has  initiated  nature  tours  for 
guests,  which  are  apparently  proving  extremely 
popular.  Nature  Seychelles  has  already  recom- 
mended that  Seychelles  Fody  be  removed  from 
the  IUCN  list  of  globally  threatened  birds.  The 
review  process  takes  some  time,  but  it  seems  like- 
ly that  the  fody  will  be  removed  as  a direct  result 
of  the  translocation,  given  that  there  are  now 
populations  on  six  islands. 

Biodiversity  change  with  agricultural 
intensification:  a case  study  on  birds 

Dianah  Nalwanga  of  Makerere  University,  in 
Kampala,  Uganda,  received  UKT500  from  ABC 
for  this  study.  Below  is  the  abstract  from  her 
report. 

Agricultural  intensification  in  Uganda  has 
resulted  in  land-use  changes  with  major  impacts 
on  biodiversity.  In  this  study  birds  were  used  as 
an  indicator  to  examine  changes  in  biodiversity 
due  to  agricultural  intensification.  Bird  counts 
were  conducted  at  seven  sites  in  Uganda  using 
timed  species  counts.  These  included  four  small- 
scale  mixed  agriculture  sites  in  Kifu,  Mpanga, 
Nama  and  Ziika,  and  three  large-scale  monocul- 
ture sites  in  Fiduga  horticulture  estate,  Kasaku 
tea  estate  and  Lugazi  sugarcane  estate.  Numbers 
of  trees  at  each  site  were  estimated  using  simple 
census  techniques,  along  with  numbers  of  native 
and  exotic  tree  species.  Bird  species  increased 
with  number  of  trees,  which  also  depended  on 
the  agricultural  type,  with  small-scale  mixed  agri- 
cultural sites  hosting  more  birds  than  large-scale 
monocultures.  Additionally,  small-scale  mixed 
farms  tended  to  have  more  native  tree  species 
than  large-scale  monoculture  farms  that  tended 
to  have  more  exotic  species.  All  large-scale  agri- 
cultural sites  in  this  study  used  inorganic  fertilis- 


ers, which  may  have  contributed  to  the  low  num- 
ber of  species  at  these  sites. 

The  avifauna  of  the  dry  evergreen  forests 
of  Mali 

ABC  provided  a grant  of  UK£750  to  Franchise 
Dowsett-Lemaire  and  Robert  J.  Dowsett,  who 
returned  to  Mali  during  the  early  rains  of  2004 
for  five  weeks.  Their  second  expedition  (the  first 
had  been  in  the  dry  season  of  2002)  aimed  at 
exploring  in  detail  the  evergreen  riparian  forests 
of  the  south,  where  an  unusual  number  of  rain- 
forest species  had  been  claimed  to  occur,  includ- 
ing several  globally  threatened  species.  Results 
show  that  there  are  in  fact  no  remnants  of  rain- 
forest anywhere  in  the  country:  patches  of  dry 
evergreen  forest  are  usually  represented  by  typical 
Sudanian  gallery  forest.  The  avifauna  is  also  typ- 
ical of  the  Sudan-Guinea  biome;  the  very  few 
exceptions  are  species  of  the  Guineo- 
Congolian/Sudanian  transition  zone  discovered 
in  the  best  galleries  in  the  far  south  of  the  coun- 
try. As  a result  of  the  past  and  present  botanical 
evidence,  and  of  the  ornithological  evidence  dur- 
ing these  surveys  (as  well  as  in  neighbouring 
countries  within  the  same  vegetation  zone),  it  is 
concluded  that  over  65  species  of  Guineo- 
Congolian  and  other  rainforest-associated  species 
previously  claimed  to  occur  in  Mali  (without  the 
support  of  extant  specimens)  must  be  deleted 
from  the  avifauna  of  the  country.  From  the  his- 
torical botanical  and  ornithological  evidence  of 
elsewhere  in  West  Africa,  the  argument  that  the 
vegetation  and  avifauna  of  south-west  Mali  could 
have  changed  significantly  in  the  last  30  years  can 
be  dismissed  as  untrue. 

Further  information... 

For  further  information  about  the  African  Bird 
Club  Conservation  Programme,  please  write  to 
Stephanie  Tyler,  African  Bird  Club,  c/o  BirdLife 
International,  Wellbrook  Court,  Girton  Road, 
Cambridge  CB3  0NA,  UK,  or  by  e-mail  to 
conservation@africanbirdclub.org 


ABC  Conservation  Fund 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  -91 


Africa  Round-up 


General 

Your  bird  records  wanted... 

Are  you  a professional  birdwatcher  or 
do  you  record  birds  for  fun?  A grow- 
ing global  family  of  internet-based 
systems  can  now  collect  your  birding 
observations  for  your  own  use  and  to 
contribute  to  conservation  around 
the  world.  Worldbirds  is  a joint  initia- 
tive of  the  Royal  Society  for  the 
Protection  of  Birds  (RSPB),  BirdLife 
International  and  the  National 
Audubon  Society,  linking  both  exist- 
ing and  new  Internet  systems  to  col- 
lect and  report  on  bird  populations 
and  their  movements  in  different 
countries  around  the  world. 

Development  of  worldbirds  has 
focused  on  a generic  core  system  that 
can  be  tailored  to  a country  to  sup- 
port its  individual  preferences  and 
requirements  (e.g.  language  and  cul- 
tural changes,  country  species  lists 
and  names,  maps  and  site  lists).  The 
benefit  of  a country-based  system 
(rather  than  a single  multi-country 
database)  is  that  it  engenders  a feel- 
ing of  ownership  within  the  country. 
Data  belong  to  the  participating 
country  partner (s),  are  validated  by 
them,  and  directly  feed  into  their 
conservation  action. 

Planning  a trip  to  Africa?  Kenya 
Birdfinder  joins  the  global  network  as 
the  newest  system  to  capture  bird 
records  throughout  Kenya.  Nature 
Kenya  and  the  National  Museums  of 
Kenya,  based  in  Nairobi,  will  run 
and  administer  Kenya  Birdfinder. 

The  records  that  you  add  will  help 
gain  a more  comprehensive  picture  of 
what  is  happening  with  Kenya’s  birds. 
Simple  bird  lists  can  help  to  estimate 
abundance  trends  and  document  bird 
distributions,  so  wherever  you  go  to 
record  birds  your  observations  can 
now  make  a difference. 

The  key  aims  of  Kenya  Birdfinder 
are  to  increase  participation  among 


individuals  interested  in  birds  within 
Kenya,  and  to  ensure  that  data  is  col- 
lected from  visiting  birders.  Many  of 
these  records  become  ‘lost’  informa- 
tion that  remain  in  birdwatchers’  per- 
sonal notebooks,  in  unpublished  trip 
reports  or  on  datasheets  that  have  not 
been  computerised.  There  are  proba- 
bly millions  of  bird  records  that  fall 
into  this  category,  many  of  them  for 
countries  that  have  very  high  bird 
diversity  but  no  common  system  of 
monitoring  their  numbers. 

To  contribute,  go  to  the  world- 
birds  web  page  and  select  your  desti- 
nation country.  This  takes  you  to  the 
appropriate  system  where  your  bird 
records  can  be  entered.  For  example, 
click  on  Kenya  and  visit  Kenya 
Birdfinder.  You  can  add  your  data, 
find  out  what  other  people  have  seen, 
and  create  your  own  reports,  maps 
and  checklists.  Keep  visiting 
www.worldbirds.org  regularly  and 
watch  it  grow  as  other  country  sys- 
tems come  online  and  join  the  global 
family. 

Source : Rachael  Roberts  (RSPB)  in  litt. 

March  2005 

Africa  key  site  conservation  ‘a 
bargain’ 

The  cost  of  conservation  work  in  all 
of  Africa’s  protected  wildlife  sites  is  a 
fraction  of  the  amount  spent  by  gov- 
ernments and  consumers  in  other 
areas.  Research  by  BirdLife 
International’s  African  network  and 
the  African  Protected  Areas  Initiative 
has  revealed  that  just  US$300  million 
annually  would  cover  the  minimum 
costs  of  managing  Africa’s  1,200 
national  parks  and  reserves,  com- 
pared to  the  US$51  billion  (£27  bil- 
lion) spent  on  EU  farm  subsidies  and 
US$450  million  on  UK  arms  subsi- 
dies. Worldwide,  shoppers  spend 
US$26  billion  on  dog  and  cat  food 
and,  in  Europe,  US$11  billion  on  ice 
cream.  The  report,  Financing 
Protected  Areas  in  Africa , was 


launched  on  14  June,  the  second  day 
of  the  UN  biodiversity  meeting  in 
Italy,  and  will  be  used  to  persuade 
developed  governments  that  fulfilling 
promises  to  fund  protected  areas  is 
less  onerous  than  they  believe. 
BirdLife  fears  that  if  developed 
nations  fail  to  fulfil  funding  pledges 
made  more  than  ten  years  ago, 
wildlife  sites  will  continue  to  be 
destroyed  and  with  them  will  go  the 
substantial  benefits  man  gains  from 
them.  Dr  Muhtari  Amino-Kano,  of 
BirdLife  International  and  one  of 
Africa’s  leading  conservationists  said: 
“The  value  of  wildlife-rich  sites  to 
regional  development  and  to  the 
world  as  a whole  is  not  recognised  or 
supported  by  governments  outside 
Africa.” 

The  UK  is  one  of  188  govern- 
ments which  ratified  a treaty  to  help 
conserve  the  world’s  biodiversity  and 
help  fund  conservation  in  poorer 
states,  in  Rio  in  1992.  Ten  years  later 
in  Johannesburg,  world  governments 
agreed  to  set  a target  of  reducing  bio- 
diversity loss  by  20 1 0 and  in  Kuala 
Lumpur  last  year,  ministers  agreed  to 
establish  a network  of  protected 
areas,  and  to  examine  ways  of  fund- 
ing it. 

Africa  was  chosen  for  the 
BirdLife  study  because  it  has  substan- 
tial development  needs  but  also  a 
wide  range  of  wildlife.  The  continent 
was  also  selected  because  biological 
resources  provide  food,  medicine  and 
many  sources  of  income.  Alistair 
Gammell,  Director  of  International 
Operations  at  the  Royal  Society  for 
the  Protection  of  Birds  said:  “Every 
day  television  schedules  across  the 
developed  world  show  films  of 
Africa’s  charismatic  wildlife.  But  will 
it  still  exist  for  our  grandchildren  to 
see?  When  we  hear  stories  of  poach- 
ing and  illegal  logging  we  need  to  ask 
ourselves  what  we  are  doing  to  help. 
Aid  for  Africa  is  high  on  the  G8’s 
agenda;  this  is  welcome  but  should 


92  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Africa  Round-up 


do  three  things:  address  poverty 
immediately,  ensure  the  conservation 
of  natural  resources  for  the  future, 
and  guarantee  compensation  for 
communities  giving  up  the  opportu- 
nity to  exploit  natural  resources  so 
that  they  may  be  conserved  for  the 
benefit  of  us  all.”  “Decisions  at  this 
meeting  will  be  crucial.  Unless  sub- 
stantial progress  is  made,  the  future 
of  the  world’s  most  important 
wildlife  sites  and  the  well-being  of 
the  communities  surrounding  them 
will  lie  on  the  consciences  of  the  rich 
world”,  added  Mr  Gammell. 

Source:  AfricanBirding  14  June  2005 

Macaronesian  endemics 

A recent  popular  article  reviewing 
our  current  knowledge  of  the  taxono- 
my and  status  of  the  many 
Macaronesian  endemic  taxa  (both 
species  and  subspecies),  well- 
illustrated  with  photos,  can  be  found 
in  a recent  issue  of  the  Finnish  maga- 
zine, Alula.  African  readers  with  an 
interest  in  the  birds  of  the  Azores, 
Canaries,  Madeira  and  Cape  Verdes 
(or  those  with  a more  general  interest 
in  Western  Palearctic  birds)  will  find 
a reasonably  comprehensive  resume 
of  the  modern  literature  therein,  but 
no  new  perspectives.  Alula  is  available 
on  subscription  from  €32  (e-mail 
anttul932@alula.fi)  and  single  back 
issues  are  also  available. 

Source:  Alula  1 1,  pp  12-24 

Eagle  taxonomy  in  flux 

Recent  molecular  studies  have  shed 
some  new  light  on  the  phylogenetic 
relationships  within  eagles.  Helbig 
and  co-workers,  who  sampled  23  of 
the  34  species  of  the  tribe  Aquilini, 
found  that  all  genera  with  more  than 
a single  species  ( Spizaetus , Hieraaetus 
and  Aquila ) are  non-monophyletic. 
Lesser  Spotted  Eagle  Aquila  pomarina 
and  Greater  Spotted  Eagle  A.  clanga 
appear  to  be  sister  species  of  Long- 
crested  Eagle  Lophaetus  occipitalis. 
African  Hawk  Eagle  Hieraaetus  spilo- 
gaster  and  Bonelli’s  Eagle  H.  fasciatus 
do  not  belong  to  the  Hieraaetus  line- 
age but  to  the  Aquila  clade.  This 
means  that  the  names  of  several 
species  need  to  be  changed  if  nomen- 
clature is  to  reflect  the  evolution  of 


the  group  and  species  relationships. 
One  option  is  to  merge  Lophaetus 
and  Hieraaetus  in  an  expanded  genus 
Aquila , thereby  suppressing  well- 
established  names  and  causing  more 
name  changes  than  the  alternative 
option  advocated  by  the  researchers. 
This  consists  in  moving  the  two  spot- 
ted eagles  to  Lophaetus  and  African 
Hawk  and  Bonelli’s  Eagles  to  Aquila. 
However,  Helbig  et  al.  did  not 
include  the  Indian  Black  Eagle 
Ictinaetus  malayensis  in  their  study, 
and  this  species  has  been  identified  as 
a close  relative  of  the  spotted  eagles 
by  another  team  of  scientists,  headed 
by  M.  Bunce.  If  Indian  Black  Eagle, 
Lesser  and  Greater  Spotted  Eagles 
and  Long-crested  Eagle  are  indeed 
closely  related,  the  name  for  this 
clade  should  be  Ictinaetus  Blyth, 

1843,  as  this  has  priority  over 
Lophaetus  Kaup,  1 847. 

Another  result  of  the  above- 
mentioned  studies  is  that  Tawny 
Eagle  Aquila  rapax  proves  to  be  most 
closely  related  to  Eastern  A.  heliaca 
and  Spanish  Imperial  Eagles  A.  adal- 
berti,  and  not  to  Steppe  Eagle  A. 
nipalensis , with  which  it  was  long 
considered  conspecific. 

Sources:  PLOS  Biol.  3,  pp  44-46  and 
Mol.  Phyl.  & Evol.  35,  pp  147-164 

Is  Karamoja  Apalis  really  an 
apalis? 

A recently  published  study  of  the 
vocalisations  and  mensural  data  of 
Karamoja  Apalis  Apalis  karamojae , a 
globally  threatened  species  restricted 
to  a small  part  of  Uganda  and  anoth- 
er area  in  Tanzania,  suggests  that  the 
species  deserves  renewed  considera- 
tion of  its  true  relationships.  Its  duet 
song  is  far  more  complex  than  other 
Apalis  and  its  bill  length  markedly 
longer  than  other  Apalis  species  that 
inhabit  similar  vegetational  strata, 
leading  the  authors  of  the  study  to 
suggest  that,  like  other  warblers  previ- 
ously placed  in  the  genus  Apalis  but 
subsequently  proven  to  be  better 
assigned  to  other  genera,  the  system- 
atic position  of  Karamoja  Apalis 
demands  further  analysis. 

Source:  Bull.  Br.  Ornithol.  Club  125, 
pp  122-129 


What  are  African  monarchs? 

In  a molecular  study,  Eric  Pasquet, 
Alice  Cibois,  Francois  Baillon  and 
Christian  Erard  address  the  phyloge- 
netic relationships  of  ten  bird  species 
from  Africa  and  Asia  representing 
five  genera  ( Terpsiphone,  Hypothymis , 
Elminia , Trochocercus  and 
Erythrocercus)  which  are  presently 
supposed  to  belong  to  the  family 
Monarchidae.  Their  findings  corrob- 
orate ecological,  ethological  and  mor- 
phological observations  on  the  proba- 
ble heterogeneity  of  Trochocercus  and 
indicate  that  this  genus  is  not  mono- 
phyletic:  whilst  two  of  its  species 
belong  to  Monarchidae  allied  to 
Terpsiphone  and  Hypothymis , the  oth- 
ers are  more  closely  related  to 
Elminia.  However,  Elminia  and 
Erythrocercus  appear  not  to  be 
monarchs. 

Source:  C.  R.  Biol.  325,  pp  107-118 

Taxonomic  position  of  some 
African  endemic  passerines 
clarified 

The  finding  that  picathartes 
Picathartes  and  rockjumpers  Chaetops 
sit  on  the  most  ancient  perch’  of  the 
evolutionary  tree  for  Old  World 
passerines  had  already  been  reported 
at  the  International  Ornithological 
Congress  held  in  Beijing,  in  2002 
(see  Bull.  ABC  10:  75).  The  relation- 
ships of  other  African  species  of 
uncertain  affinities  were  still  awaiting 
examination.  Molecular  research  con- 
ducted by  Pamela  Beresford,  F. 

Barker,  Peter  Ryan  and  im.  Crowe 
(doi:10.1098/rspb.2004.2997)  has 
now  started  to  clarify  the  systematics 
of  these  enigmatic  species.  Data 
analyses  showed  that  nicators  Nicator 
were  neither  bush-shrikes 
(Malaconotidae)  nor  bulbuls 
(Pycnonotidae)  but  were  surprisingly 
close  to  larks  (Alaudidae);  the  authors 
therefore  suggest  grouping  the  three 
nicators  in  a family  of  their  own. 
Herero  Chat  Namibornis  hereto 
appeared  to  be  more  closely  related  to 
the  Saxicolines  than  to  the  Turdines, 
whereas  White-tailed  Shrike 
Lanioturdus  torquatus  has  been  con- 
firmed to  be  close  to  Batis. 

Three  different  groups  within 
African  warblers’  could  be  discerned. 


Africa  Round-up 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  - 93 


The  first  includes  the  crombecs 
Sylvietta  and  longbills  Macrosphenus 
and  a disparate  array  of  southern 
African  endemics,  including  Damara 
Rockjumper  Chaetops  ( Achaetops ) pyc- 
nopygius , Grassbird  Sphenoeacus  afer , 
Victorin’s  Warbler  Bradypterus  victori- 
ni  and  probably  also  African 
Moustached  Warbler  Melocichla  men- 
talis.  The  second  large  group,  the 
Cisticolidae,  includes  the  genera 
Apalis,  Camaroptera , Cisticola , Prinia 
and  Eminia , as  well  as  Cinnamon- 
breasted Warbler  Euryptila  subcin- 
namomea.  The  third  group  includes 
Broad-tailed  Warbler  Schoenicola  bre- 
virostris  and  the  endemic  Malagasy 
‘warblers’  Xanthomixis  (previously 
included  as  Phyllastrephus  bulbuls  in 
Pycnonotidae,  but  now  known  as 
tetrakas’)  and  Thamnornis 
Thamnornis  chloropetoides. 

Two  additional  groups  were  not 
predicted  by  traditional  classifica- 
tions. The  first  includes  the  sugar- 
birds  Promerops , Dappled  Mountain 
Robin  Arcanator  orostruthus  and 
Spot-throat  Modulatrix  stictigula ; the 
authors  propose  to  include  the  latter 
two  in  Promeropidae  or  to  recognise 
them  with  their  own  family  name. 
The  second  comprises  Fairy 
Flycatcher  Stenostira  scita , the  genus 
Elminia  and  the  Oriental  Culicicapa\ 
these  are  proposed  to  form  the  family 
Stenostiridae. 

Source:  Proc.  Roy.  Soc.  Lond.  Ser.  B. 

272,  pp  849-858 


North  Africa 

New  Ramsar  sites  in  Tunisia 

That  1 5 wetlands  are  to  be  recog- 
nised as  Ramsar  sites  has  been 
announced  recently  by  the  Tunisian 
authorities.  The  total  area  to  be  pro- 
tected comprises  more  than  750,000 
ha  and  includes  salt  lakes,  swamps, 
peat  bogs,  dunes,  oases  and  lagoons. 
Tunisia’s  wetlands  attract  up  to 
500,000  migratory  waterbirds  and 
many  are  Important  Bird  Areas. 
Currently  Lake  Ichkeul  is  the  only 
Ramsar  site  in  the  country.  It  is  esti- 
mated that  Tunisia  has  lost  a signifi- 
cant part  of  its  wetlands  as  a result  of 


drainage  and  that  27%  of  its  lakes 
and  marshes  are  polluted. 

Source:  www.panda.org/news_ 
facts/ newsroom! 'other _news/news.cfm?u 
NewsID= 16731 


West  & Central  Africa 

Massive  vulture  decline  in  West 
Africa 

Vulture  populations  in  West  Africa 
have  plummeted  in  rural  areas,  on  a 
scale  comparable  to  the  dramatic 
decline  in  South  Asia.  This  is  the 
alarming  finding  of  a study  by  Jean- 
Marc  Thiollay  and  Guy  Rondeau, 
who  counted  vultures  along  more 
than  7,000  km  of  road  transects  in 
Mali,  Burkina  Faso  and  Niger  in 
2003-04  and  compared  these  with 
data  from  1969-70.  Numbers  of  five 
vulture  species  had  dropped  by  a 
mean  95%,  whereas  one  species, 
Hooded  Vulture  Necrosyrtes 
monachus , had  declined  by  45%. 
Apart  from  small  numbers  in  protect- 
ed areas,  White-headed  Vulture 
Trigonoceps  occipitalis  and  Lappet- 
faced Vulture  Torgos  tracheliotus  have 
almost  completely  disappeared. 
African  White-backed  Vulture  Gyps 
africanus  was  down  by  97%  and 
Rtippell’s  Griffon  Vulture  G.  rueppel- 
lii  by  96%.  The  exact  causes  of  these 
massive  declines  are  unknown,  but 
the  authors  speculate  that  these  may 
include  the  reduced  availability  of 
carcasses,  as  wild  mammals  have 
decreased  through  habitat  loss  and 
overhunting;  improved  veterinary 
practices  resulting  in  more  cattle 
making  it  to  market  and  not  dying  in 
the  bush;  direct  persecution  of  vul- 
tures for  use  in  traditional  ceremonies 
and  medicines;  hunting  of  birds  for 
food;  and  perhaps  also  the  wide- 
spread use  of  pesticides.  The  authors 
conclude  that  if  nothing  is  done  to 
address  this  decline,  which  is  surpris- 
ing in  its  scope  and  especially  in  its 
lack  of  warning,  the  vultures  of  West 
Africa  will  quickly  disappear. 

Source:  Vulture  News  51,  p 13-33 


Atlantic  Islands 

St  Helena  freedom  of  information 
row 

St  Helena,  one  of  Britain’s  14 
Overseas  Territories  with  of  a popula- 
tion of  3,900,  is  currently  the  subject 
of  a highly  controversial  plan  to  build 
a British-funded  international  airport, 
with  the  island’s  government  trying  to 
suppress  the  UK  Freedom  of 
Information  Act  which  would  nor- 
mally apply.  The  airport  is  controver- 
sial because  the  island  is  host  to  the 
unique  Wirebird,  with  a population 
of  only  500,  49  species  of  plants 
found  nowhere  else  in  the  world  and 
more  than  400  endemic  invertebrates, 
most  famously  the  Giant  Earwig 
Labidura  herculeana.  The  new  airport 
will  occupy  a two-mile  stretch  of  the 
ten-mile-long  island  on  what  is  called 
Prosperous  Bay  Plain.  The  problem 
for  the  government  and  its  developer 
allies  is  that  the  area  boasts  the  richest 
assemblage  of  endemics  on  the  island, 
apparently  including  the  earwig 
which  had  been  thought  to  be  extinct 
as  a Belgian  scientific  expedition  acci- 
dentally collected  what  they  later 
realised  might  be  the  last  1 8 speci- 
mens. But,  according  to  Vince 
Williams,  the  island  conservation  offi- 
cer, further  live  earwigs  are  likely  to 
be  discovered  when  the  plain  is  dug 
for  the  airport  foundations,  and  for  a 
giant  hotel  and  golf  course  complex. 
Faced  by  a growing  clamour  from 
environmentalists  worldwide  over  the 
airport  plans,  the  government  is 
attempting  an  information  and  media 
clampdown,  and  is  pressurising  the 
local  Legislative  Council  to  rubber 
stamp  the  decision  before  pressure 
groups  can  gain  access  to  the  critical 
ecological  assessments  of  the  airport 
plan  produced  for  British  consultants 
Atkins  Ltd.  As  Public  Enquiries  for 
development  projects  are  not  legally 
required  on  St  Helena,  the  colonial 
government  may  succeed  in  pushing 
through  the  airport  this  way,  govern- 
ment opponents  say. 

Encouraged  by  a team  of 
researchers  from  the  University  of 
Sussex  working  on  the  island,  the 


94  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Africa  Round-up 


Public  Solicitor  was  taking  the 
Governor  and  his  Chief  Secretary  to 
the  minuscule  Supreme  Court  of  St 
Helena  to  seek  a judicial  review  of 
the  government  attempt  to  suppress 
the  UK  Freedom  of  Information 
Act.  He  believes  that  by  doing  so  he 
can  force  the  government  to  release 
the  ecological  surveys  which  it  is  try- 
ing to  restrict,  but  also  make  the  Act 
available  to  ordinary  St  Helenans, 
who  would  otherwise  have  their 
rights  as  British  nationals  trampled 
on  in  the  rush  to  build  the  airport. 
The  government’s  Attorney-General 
is  also  afraid  that  the  anticipated 
(but  commercially  secret)  likely  costs 
of  the  airport,  thought  to  be  as 
much  as  UK£350  million,  might 
become  well  known  to  British  tax- 
payers or,  indeed  to  the  Public 
Accounts  Committee  of  the  House 
of  Commons.  The  committee  is 
unlikely  to  take  a charitable  view  of 
the  St  Helena  government’s  under- 
hand antics  and  seems  likely  to  call 
for  a full  investigation.  Many 
islanders  support  the  airport  plan, 
but  not  at  the  expense  of  their  rights 
to  freedom  of  information. 

Source:  Dr  Richard  Grove  in  litt. 

April  2005 


East  Africa 

Threatened  papyrus  endemics 
studied  in  Rwanda... 

A team  of  BP  Conservation  2004 
Award  winners  has  been  studying  the 
highly  localised  and  threatened 
Grauer’s  Swamp  Warbler  Bradypterus 
graueri  (listed  as  Endangered)  and 
Papyrus  Yellow  Warbler  Chloropeta 
gracilirostris  (Vulnerable)  in  north- 
west Rwanda.  It  appeared  that 
Grauer’s  Swamp  Warbler  had  a sig- 
nificant population,  comprising  at 
least  370  singing  males,  in  Rugezi 
swamp,  an  unprotected  site  which 
suffers  from  serious  human  interfer- 
ence. Papyrus  Yellow  Warbler  was 
represented  by  only  a few  individuals 
in  an  apparently  rehabilitated 
papyrus  patch,  and  habitat  distur- 
bance is  suspected  to  be  the  most 
likely  cause  of  its  low  numbers.  For 
both  species,  precise  habitat  prefer- 


ences have  yet  to  be  documented. 
Apparently  the  birds  are  thriving  in 
some  disturbed  areas  whilst  in  others 
they  are  not,  suggesting  that  the  type 
and  extent  of  the  disturbance  may  be 
the  cause  of  the  variation. 

Sources:  World  Birdwatch  27(1 ),  p 9 
and  Africa — Birds  & Birding  10(1), 
p 12-13 


...and  in  Kenya 

Conservation  biology  student  Alfred 
Owino  studied  the  rate  of  papyrus 
swamp  loss  in  Kenya  and  the  impact 
of  habitat  degradation  on  the  five 
specialist  bird  species  of  these 
swamps.  In  Kenya,  the  most  impor- 
tant papyrus  swamps  are  confined  to 
the  shores  of  Lake  Victoria,  where 
the  three  main  swamp  areas,  at 
Dunga,  Koguta  and  Kusa,  are  all 
Important  Bird  Areas.  Despite  this, 
none  of  the  Kenyan  swamps  is  for- 
mally protected.  Owino  conducted 
surveys  to  assess  the  importance  of 
swamp  structure  for  the  specialist 
birds.  He  found  that  the  abundance 
of  White-winged  Warbler 
Bradypterus  carpalis , Carruthers’s 
Cisticola  Cisticola  carruthersi , 

Papyrus  Gonolek  Laniarius 
mufumbiri  and  Papyrus  Canary 
Serinus  koliensis  was  directly  related 
to  the  height  and  density  of  papyrus. 
For  Papyrus  Yellow  Warbler 
Chloropeta  gracilirostris , no  meaning- 
ful conclusions  could  be  drawn, 
because  too  few  individuals  were 
found.  Human  activities  such  as  the 
construction  of  footpaths,  harvesting 
of  papyrus,  burning,  grazing  and 
farming,  all  reduce  the  area,  density 
and  height  of  papyrus,  thus  render- 
ing the  swamps  less  suitable  for 
birds.  Aerial  photographs  revealed 
that  the  three  swamps  have  lost 
34-30%  of  their  area  over  the  past 
30  years,  resulting  in  many  small, 
fragmented  patches.  If  current  trends 
of  local  human  population  growth 
continue,  the  smaller  swamps  at 
Dunga  and  Koguta  are  likely  to  dis- 
appear by  2020,  and  Kusa  will  be 
reduced  to  less  than  20%  of  its  1969 
extent. 

Source:  Africa — Birds  & Birding 
10(3),  p 23 


Amani  Sunbird  declining  in 
coastal  Kenya? 

The  recently  published  results  of  a 
1999  survey  of  the  Arabuko-Sokoke 
Forest  for  the  East  African  endemic 
and  globally  threatened  Amani 
Sunbird  Anthreptes  pallidigaster 
revealed  a total  of  1 03  sunbirds  at  an 
estimated  density  of  36.6  birds/knf , 
thus  the  Brachystegia  woodland 
should  hold  about  2,818  Amani 
Sunbirds.  This  estimate  is  much 
lower  than  the  5,800-9,400  birds 
estimated  by  Britton  & Britton 
(1978).  The  apparent  decline  could 
be  due  to  natural  population  fluctua- 
tions, but  habitat  degradation  is 
another  possible  cause,  as  illegal  log- 
ging and  tree-felling  continue  in  and 
around  the  forest. 

Source:  Bird  Conserv.  Intern.  15, 
pp  53-62 

New  monkey  species  found  in 
Tanzania 

Scientists  have  discovered  Africa’s 
first  new  species  of  monkey  in  more 
than  20  years.  The  monkey, 
described  in  Science  (20  May  2005) 
and  named  Highland  Mangabey 
Lophocebus  kipunji , was  discovered 
by  two  research  teams  working  inde- 
pendently in  the  Tanzanian  part  of 
the  Eastern  Arc  Mountains  and 
Coastal  Forests  region.  It  was  found 
in  the  Ndundulu  Forest  Reserve  and 
at  a site  370  km  away  in  Tanzania’s 
Southern  Highlands.  The  newly  dis- 
covered species,  locally  known  as 
‘kipunji’,  is  distinguished  from  other 
mangabeys  by  the  colour  of  its  coat, 
its  long,  upright  crest,  and  its  off- 
white  tail  and  chest.  It  also  has  a 
unique  ‘honk-bark’  vocalisation. 

Source:  CEPF  E-News,  June  2005 

Speciation  in  swamp-dwelling 
weavers  and  flycatchers 

A recently  published  study  of  the 
taxonomy  of  some  south-central 
African  groups  of  swamp-dwelling 
weavers  (the  Ploceus  melanocephalus, 
castanops  and  velatus  groups),  as  well 
as  the  flycatchers  Muscicapa  [aquati- 
ca ] lualabae  and  M.  [ aquatica ] grim- 
woodi,  provides  new  insights  into  the 
evolution  of  their  habitats,  as  well  as 
the  birds.  The  paper  suggests  that 


Africa  Round-up 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) -95 


the  wetland  complex  based  on 
Katanga,  in  the  south-east  Congo 
basin,  and  neighbouring  wetlands  in 
Zambia  is  a primary  evolutionary 
centre  for  recent  (Plio-Pleistocene) 
speciation  events,  although  other 
wetland  archipelagos  in  the  same 
general  region  of  southern  Africa, 
namely  the  Okavango  and  upper 
Zambezi,  and  the  lower  Zambezi 
from  Lake  Malawi  to  the  lower  Save 
River,  in  Mozambique,  represent 
other  such  evolutionary  centres.  It 
seems  that  a comprehensive  revision 
of  the  taxonomy  of  several  weaver 
groups  is  needed,  especially  if  oper- 
ating under  a pattern-defined  species 
concept. 

Source : Honeyguide  50,  pp  7-25 


Indian  Ocean  islands 

Mauritius  endemics  at  risk  from 
new  road 

Work  has  begun  on  a new  road,  the 
proposed  Southeastern  Highway, 
which  passes  through  the  Mauritius 
East  Coast  Mountains  Important 
Bird  Area  and  an  area  of  forest 
important  for  the  globally  threatened 
Mauritius  Kestrel  Falco  punctatus  and 
Mauritius  Bulbul  Hypsipetes  olivaceus , 
whilst  plans  to  reintroduce  the  threat- 
ened Mauritius  Cuckoo-shrike 
Coracina  typica,  which  was  lost  from 
the  area  several  decades  ago,  are  on 
hold  with  the  advent  of  the  African 
Development  Bank-funded  scheme. 
Local  NGO,  the  Mauritian  Wildlife 
Foundation,  is  actively  lobbying 
against  the  road  scheme. 

Source:  Br.  Birds  98,  p 329 


Southern  Africa 

Angola  revisited 

The  Western  Angola  Endemic  Bird 
Area  has  14  range-restricted  species, 
but  their  conservation  status  is  little 
known  due  to  the  civil  war  that  has 
raged  for  almost  30  years.  The  great- 
est diversity  is  found  in  Cuanza  Sul 
province  and,  following  on  from  the 
same  authors’  paper  in  a recent  issue 
of  the  Bulletin,  Pete  Ryan  et  al.  have 


now  provided  a formal  report  on  the 
first  detailed  ornithological  visits  to 
the  Gabela  region  since  1974.  Most 
of  the  threatened  species  were  relo- 
cated, including  several  not  seen 
since  the  1970s.  Gabela  Bush-shrike 
Laniarius  amboimensis  was  common 
and  Monteiro’s  Bush-shrike 
Malaconotus  monteiri  fairly  common 
in  degraded  secondary  forest,  old 
coffee  plantations  and  primary  forest 
at  Kumbira.  Pulitzer’s  Longbill 
Macrosphenus  pulitzeri  was  fairly 
common  at  higher  elevations  at 
Kumbira,  as  well  as  in  secondary  for- 
est west  of  Seles.  Gabela  Akalat 
Sheppardia  gabela  was  less  common, 
with  only  three  birds  found  at 
Kumbira  and  one  near  Seles,  but 
may  have  been  overlooked.  A single 
group  of  eight  Gabela  Helmet- 
shrikes  Prionops  gabela  was  recorded, 
at  the  base  of  the  scarp  between 
Kumbira  and  Seles.  Angola  Cave 
Chat  Xenocopsychus  ansorgei  was 
found  on  the  rocky  slopes  above  the 
forest  at  Kumbira.  Vocal  evidence 
confirms  the  close  relationship 
between  Gabela  Bush-shrike  and 
Liihder’s  Bush-shrike  L.  luehderi. 
There  is  a pressing  need  to  assess  the 
extent  of  remaining  forests,  map  the 
distribution  of  key  species  of  conser- 
vation concern,  and  draft  a strategy 
to  conserve  key  areas  of  habitat.. 
There  is  a pressing  need  to  assess  the 
extent  of  remaining  forests,  map  the 
distribution  of  key  species  of  conser- 
vation concern,  and  draft  a strategy 
to  conserve  key  areas  of  habitat. 

Source : Bird  Conserv.  Intern.  14, 
pp  247-260 

Change  of  Recorder  for  Angola 

Michael  Mills  (michael@ 
birdingafrica.com)  is  joining  Richard 
Dean  as  joint  country  Recorder  for 
Angola.  Thereafter,  Richard  Dean  is 
retiring  at  the  end  of  2005  and  it  is 
planned  that  Michael  will  continue 
as  sole  Recorder  for  Angola. 

Source:  Richard  Dean  in  litt. 

May  2005 

Lake  Ngami  declared  a ‘No- 
hunting Area’ 

Lake  Ngami,  an  Important  Bird 
Area  and  Ramsar  site  in  north-west 


Botswana  lacking  formal  protection, 
was  declared  a ‘No-hunting  Area  in 
November  2004  by  Botswana’s 
Minister  of  Environment.  Although 
the  lake  has  most  often  been  dry  in 
recent  years,  it  may  seasonally  flood 
when  rainfall  is  high.  When  this 
happens,  impressive  numbers  of 
waterbirds  arrive  to  feed  and  breed. 
More  than  60  species  may  be  pres- 
ent, including  up  to  2,000  pairs  of 
Great  White  Pelicans  Pelecanus 
onocrotalus , at  least  25,000  pairs  of 
Red-billed  Teal  Anas  erythrorhyncha, 
up  to  7,000  pairs  of  Hottentot  Teal 
A.  hottentotta,  as  well  as  thousands 
of  White-faced  Whistling  Ducks 
Dendrocygna  viduata.  Fulvous 
Whistling  Ducks  D.  bicolor  and 
Knob-billed  Ducks  Sarkidiornis 
melanotos.  Slaty  Egrets  Egretta  vina- 
ceigula  and  Wattled  Cranes 
Bugeranus  carunculatus,  both  listed 
as  Vulnerable,  are  also  present.  In 
June  2004  Lake  Ngami  began  to  fill 
again  and  BirdLife  Botswana  has 
been  monitoring  the  build-up  of 
waterbirds.  It  is  working  with  local 
communities  to  create  sustainable 
livelihoods  based  on  ecotourism. 

This  should  ensure  long-term  pro- 
tection of  the  lake  and  its  surround- 
ing area. 

Source:  World  Birdwatch  27(1),  p 10 

Grey-headed  Albatrosses  travel 
around  the  world 

Grey-headed  Albatrosses  Diomedea 
( Thalassarche)  chrysostoma , a rare  vis- 
itor to  southern  African  waters,  reg- 
ularly circumnavigate  the  Southern 
Ocean.  This  has  been  revealed  by  a 
recent  study  conducted  by  scientists 
from  the  British  Antarctic  Survey.  By 
attaching  tiny  logging  devices  (geo- 
locators) to  the  birds’  legs  and  moni- 
toring their  movements  over  1 8 
months  or  more,  they  found  that 
most  birds  travelled  from  their 
breeding  sites  off  the  coast  of  South 
Georgia  to  areas  in  the  south-west 
Indian  Ocean.  More  than  half  of 
them  continued  and  made  around- 
the- world  journeys — the  fastest  in 
just  46  days.  Grey-headed  Albatross 
may  thus  prove  the  most  migratory 
member  of  its  family.  Knowing 
where  albatrosses  go  may  help  to 


96  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Africa  Round-up 


prevent  the  unnecessary  slaughter  of 
these  species  by  longline  fisheries. 
The  number  of  birds  killed  can 
indeed  be  reduced  by  75-95%  if  the 
right  combination  of  measures  could 
be  imposed. 

Source:  World  Birdwatch  27(1 ),  p 5 

Thousands  of  Cape  Cormorants 
die 

At  least  8,000  Cape  Cormorants 
Phalacrocorax  capensis , a Near- 
Threatened  species,  were  killed  fol- 
lowing an  outbreak  of  avian  cholera 
on  Dyer  Island,  South  Africa.  The 
disease  was  swiftly  brought  under 
control  by  staff  from  CapeNature. 

Source : World  Birdwatch  27(1),  p 5 

First  southern  African  pelican 
count 

The  first  southern  African  pelican 
survey,  organised  by  the  Avian 
Demography  Unit,  University  of 
Cape  Town,  took  place  on  1 6 
October  2004.  The  survey  aims  to 
assess  the  total  numbers  of  pelicans 
in  the  region  and  to  monitor  their 
trends  and  movements  over  time 
with  counts  at  least  twice  per 
annum.  The  total  number  of  peli- 
cans counted  was  7,273,  including 
2,368  Great  White  Pelicans 
Pelecanus  onocrotalus  in  KwaZulu- 
Natal  (with  46  Pink-backed  Pelicans 
P.  rufescens  also  there),  2,273  in 
Western  Cape,  1 ,030  in  Namibia 
and  at  least  1,556  in  Botswana.  A 
pelican  that  had  been  ringed  at 
Dassen  Island,  South  Africa,  in 
January  2004,  was  reported  c.  1,500 
km  from  there  at  Lake  Ngami, 
Botswana.  This  challenges  the 
hypothesis  that  southern  African  pel- 
ican populations  are  isolated  from 
one  another. 

Source:  Africa — Birds  & Birding 
10(1),  p 15 

Black  Harrier  losing  ground  to 
agriculture 

Black  Harrier  Circus  maurus  is  a rare 
southern  African  endemic,  for  which 
perhaps  over  50%  of  its  core  breed- 
ing habitat  has  been  lost  during  the 
course  of  last  1 00  years  due  to  exten- 
sive land  transformation,  invasive 
alien  vegetation  and  urbanisation  in 


the  Fynbos  biome.  Odette  Curtis 
and  her  co-workers  surveyed  both 
the  Swartland  and  Overberg  coastal 
plains  of  south-western  South  Africa 
in  the  years  2000-02  for  Black 
Harriers,  and  that  nests  were  concen- 
trated either  along  the  coastal  strip  or 
inland  in  montane  habitats.  The 
birds  were  generally  absent  from 
heavily  cultivated  inland  plains, 
although  there  is  some  evidence  that 
harriers  forage  in  cereal  croplands. 
Harriers  bred  successfully  along  the 
coast  where  nests  were  aggregated  in 
loose  colonies  around  wetlands,  but 
the  species  was  much  less  successful 
in  montane  environments  due  to 
high  levels  of  nest  predation.  Black 
Harrier  seems  to  have  been  displaced 
from  optimal  lowland  habitats,  pri- 
marily by  the  advent  and  spread  of 
cereal  agriculture. 

Source:  Bird  Conserv.  Intern.  14, 
pp  233-245 

Wahlberg’s  and  Crowned  Eagle 
share  nest  tree 

A case  of  two  different  eagle  species 
nesting  simultaneously  in  the  same 
tree  has  been  reported  recently  from 
a farm  in  KwaZulu-Natal,  South 
Africa.  In  a Eucalyptus  tree  c. 50  m 
high  was  a Crowned  Eagle 
Stephanoaetus  coronatus  nest  c.30  m 
up,  with  15m  above  this  a nest  of  a 
Wahlberg’s  Eagle  Aquila  wahlbergi. 
According  to  the  farm  owners,  the 
eagles  had  been  nesting  in  the  same 
tree  for  ‘many  years’.  The  Crowned 
Eagle  nested  there  first,  with  the 
Wahlberg’s  Eagle  moving  in  when  its 
first  nest,  which  was  in  a different 
clump  of  trees,  was  usurped  by  a 
pair  of  Egyptian  Geese  Alopochen 
aegyptiaca.  The  males  of  the  two 
species  never  had  any  aggressive 
interactions  at  the  nesting  site, 
although  they  were  seen  several 
times  ‘attacking’  each  other  in  the  air 
without  actually  making  contact. 
Southern  African  raptor  specialist 
Peter  Steyn  has  declared  never  to 
have  heard  of  two  African  eagle 
species  breeding  in  the  same  tree  at 
the  same  time.  The  nest  was  situated 
at  the  interface  of  two  habitat  types 
and  the  area  used  by  the  two  species 
probably  had  little  overlap;  the 


Crowned  Eagle  would  use  a densely 
wooded  ravine,  whilst  the 
Wahlberg’s  Eagle  foraged  in  the 
more  open  savanna  woodland  in  the 
opposite  direction. 

Source:  Africa — Birds  & Birding 
10(3),  p 9 

Peregrine  Falcon  kills  Black- 
chested Snake  Eagle 

On  8 October  2004,  whilst  standing 
just  downstream  of  the  Victoria 
Falls,  Zimbabwe,  Clive  Bradford 
heard  a thud  from  above  and  saw  a 
large  bird  fall  to  the  ground.  A 
Peregrine  Falcon  Falco  peregrinus  that 
landed  in  a tree  nearby,  appeared  to 
have  fatally  attacked  the  other  bird, 
an  adult  Black-chested  Snake  Eagle 
Circaetus  pectoralis.  The  great  force 
of  the  impact  tore  off  the  left  wing 
and  the  entire  left  flank,  including 
the  left  leg,  of  the  snake  eagle  and 
killed  it.  The  incident  took  place 
opposite  a traditional  Peregrine  nest- 
ing site  that  has  been  known  since 
1971.  A female  Peregrine,  which 
weighs  c.  700-800  g,  is  extremely 
aggressive  when  she  has  young;  an 
adult  Black-chested  Snake  Eagle 
weighs  c.  1,500  g.  There  is  a previous 
record  of  an  adult  female  Peregrine 
fatally  striking  a Steppe  Buzzard 
Buteo  buteo  vulpinus  into  the 
Zambezi  at  Batoka  Gorge. 

Source:  Africa — Birds  & Birding 

10(2),  p 11 

Melanistic  Cattle  Egrets... 

In  December  2004,  between  four  and 
six  melanistic  Cattle  Egrets  Bubulcus 
ibis  were  observed  in  a flock  of 
normal-coloured  egrets  on  a farm  in 
Limpopo  Province,  South  Africa. 
Photographs  show  that  the  birds  were 
almost  entirely  black,  with  mainly 
white  wings  and  tails.  The  aberrant 
birds  behaved  like  the  other  egrets, 
but  appeared  to  be  slightly  smaller 
and  tended  to  stay  in  the  shade  and 
closer  to  water  than  the  others.  The 
fact  that  these  birds  occurred  in  the 
same  area  strongly  suggest  that  they 
were  siblings.  These  are  apparently 
the  first  melanistic  Cattle  Egrets  to  be 
recorded. 

Source:  Africa — Birds  & Birding 

10(2),  p 16 


Africa  Round-up 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) -97 


...and  a leucistic  sugarbird 

A partially  leucistic  Cape  Sugarbird 
Promerops  cafer  was  photographed  at 
Cape  of  Good  Hope  Nature  Reserve 
in  November  2004.  The  bird,  either 
a female  or  a young  male,  was  in  the 
company  of  a normal-coloured  adult 
male.  It  was  mostly  dirty  white  with 
a bright  yellow  face  and  rump. 
Leucism  (a  reduction  of  pigments  in 
the  feathers)  has  been  recorded  only 
once  previously  in  this  species,  in 
1969,  in  Constantia,  Cape  Town, 
and  never  in  Gurney’s  Sugarbird  P 
gurneyi. 

Source : Africa — Birds  & Birding 
10(1),  p 14 

Mixed-breeding  oxpeckers 

In  1998,  a Yellow-billed  Oxpecker 
Buphagus  aficanus  and  a Red-billed 
Oxpecker  B.  erythrorhyncbus  were 
reported  to  interbreed  and  raise 
hybrid  young  in  the  Matobo  Hills 
south  of  Bulawayo,  Zimbabwe.  In 
the  1998/99  breeding  season  the 
same  nest  was  again  used,  but  this 
time  two  Yellow-billed  Oxpeckers 
and  a single  Red-billed  Oxpecker 
were  seen  to  bring  food  to  the  nest, 
which  contained  two  young  Yellow- 
billed Oxpeckers.  The  Red-billed 
Oxpecker  was  thus  merely  present  as 
a helper.  In  December  2004,  two 
Yellow-billed  Oxpeckers  and  a single 
Red-billed  Oxpecker  were  observed 
entering  a nest  hole  in  Hwange 
National  Park,  Zimbabwe.  Both 
species  brought  food  and  removed 


faecal  sacs.  The  nest  contained  three 
partially  feathered  chicks,  but  it 
could  not  be  determined  whether 
they  were  hybrids.  However,  the  Red- 
billed Oxpecker  appeared  to  be  a 
young  bird,  its  incomplete  yellow 
eye-ring  suggesting  it  was  about  one 
year  old.  This  supported  the 
observers’  impression  that  the  Yellow- 
billed Oxpeckers  were  a pair  and  the 
Red-billed  Oxpecker  a helper.  This 
would  therefore  constitute  the  second 
record  of  such  an  incident. 

Oxpeckers  are  well  known  to  be 
cooperative  breeders. 

Source:  Africa — Birds  & Birding 
10(3),  p 15 


Internet  resources 

White  Stork  satellite  tracking 

http : // www.  s torchenzug.  de 

Circus 

Newsletter  of  The  Black  Harrier 
Project:  Issue  2,  April  2005  (PDF) 
http://www.cepf.net/ xp  / cepf/ static/ 
pdfs/PercyFitzpatricklnstitute. 
CircusNewsletter.April2005.pdf 

Earthwatch 

www.  earthwatch . o rg 
Earthwatch  is  an  international  envi- 
ronmental organisation  which  pro- 
motes the  understanding  and  action 
necessary  for  a sustainable  environ- 
ment. Earthwatch  engages  people 
worldwide  in  scientific  field  research 


and  education  and  organised  over 
140  expeditions  in  50  countries  in 
2005,  with  three  birding  projects  in 
Africa  (in  Cameroon,  Tanzania  and 
South  Africa). 

The  Gambia 

www.birdsofthegambia.com 
Birding  website. 

International  Ornithological 

Congress 

www.i-o-c.org 

24th  Congress:  Hamburg  2006 

Proceedings  of  the  International 
Shrike  Working  Group 

The  fourth  proceedings  of  the 
International  Shrike  Working  Group 
meeting  that  was  held  in  parallel  to 
the  EOU  meeting  in  Chemnitz, 
Germany,  is  available  online: 
http://www.biollett.amu.edu.pl  . 

Tiwai  Island  Wildlife  Sanctuary, 
Sierra  Leone 

Ensuring  Effective  and  Sustainable 
Management  of  the  Tiwai  Island 
Wildlife  Sanctuary,  Sierra  Leone 
(PDF),  Environmental  Foundation 
for  Africa — Sierra  Leone 
http://www.cepf.net/xp/ cepf/  static/ 
pdfs/Final.EFA.TLAC.pdf 

Madagascar  Wetlands  Conservation 
Madagascar  Community-Based 
Wetlands  Conservation  Project 
(PDF),  The  Peregrine  Fund 
http : / / www.  cepf.  net/xp/cepf/  static/ 
pdfs/Final. Peregrine.Wetlands.pdf 


Corrigenda  Bull.  ABC  12  (1) 


On  p.  1 the  caption  to  the  front  cover  should  have  read 
Arabian  Bustard  Ardeotis  arabs , whilst  on  p.21  the  caption 
to  Figures  2-3  should  have  read  immature  White-backed 
Night  Heron,  not  adult.  This  is  also  the  case  with  the 
photographs  on  the  back  cover.  Our  apologies  to  the  artist 
and  photographer  concerned.  We  take  this  opportunity  to 
include  a photograph  of  an  adult  White-backed  Night 
Heron  Gorsachius  leuconotus , showing  the  white  back 
patch  (and  all  of  the  species’  other  characteristic  features  at 
this  age),  taken  by  Bruno  Portier  in  Burkina  Faso. 

On  p.37,  in  Table  1 , the  headings  ‘Pied’  and  ‘Somali’ 
on  the  first  line  refer  to  the  first  three  columns  and  the 
second  three  columns  respectively. 


White-backed  Night  Heron  / Bihoreau  a dos  blanc 
Gorsachius  leuconotus , Nazinga,  Burkina  Faso  (Bruno  Portier) 


98  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Africa  Round-up 


Western  Black-headed  Batis  Batis  erlangeri : a separate 
species  consisting  of  two  subspecies 

Michel  Louette 


Batis  erlangeri : une  espece  distincte  composee  de  deux  sous-especes.  La  distribution,  la  taille  et 
les  vocalisations  du  taxon  traditionnel  Batis  minor  (Pririt  a joues  noires)  suggerent  que  celui-ci 
merite  d’etre  divise  en  deux  especes  a part  entiere:  B.  minor  et  B.  erlangeri.  La  plus  petite,  B.  minor 
sensu  stricto,  est  composee  de  deux  sous-especes:  B.  m.  minor  et  B.  m.  suahelicus.  B.  erlangeri 
comprend  egalement  deux  sous-especes.  L’examen  de  specimens,  principalement  au  Musee  Royal 
de  l’Afrique  Centrale,  Belgique,  a en  effet  permis  la  distinction  morphologique  de  ces  deux 
populations.  Celle  de  la  region  au  sud  de  la  foret  equatoriale  en  RD  Congo  meridional  et  les  zones 
limitrophes,  B.  e.  congoensis , a le  bee  legerement  plus  court  que  celle  de  la  population  nominale 
septentrionale. 


The  genus  Batis  is  endemic  to  Africa  and  com- 
prises a group  of  small,  contrastingly 
coloured  flycatcher-like  birds  with  relatively  large 
heads,  broad  bills,  short  legs  and  short  tails.  It  is  a 
genus  of  great  uniformity  in  general  appearance 
and  behaviour.  Opinions  concerning  species  limits 
have  varied  greatly:  in  recent  works,  the  number  of 
recognised  species  has  varied  from  16  (e.g.  Urban 
et  al.  1997,  hereafter  BoA;  Harris  & Franklin 
2000)  to  19  (e.g.  Sibley  & Monroe  1990).  The 
systematic  studies  of  Lawson  (1986,  1987)  are  not 
generally  accepted:  some  authorities  have  incorpo- 
rated part  of  his  conclusions  and  data  (e.g.  BoA, 
Harris  & Franklin  2000),  whilst  others  (e.g. 
Dowsett  & Dowsett-Lemaire  1993)  have  not 
accepted  his  conclusions.  Given  the  lack  of  molec- 
ular research,  the  external  morphology,  ecology 
and  distribution  (sympatry  or  allopatry)  are 
important  in  defining  species  limits  amongst  these 
extremely  similar  birds,  and  such  factors,  supple- 
mented by  differences  in  voice  and  habitat,  guid- 
ed me  whilst  preparing  the  Platysteiridae  chapter 
for  Handbook  of  the  Birds  of  the  World  (Louette  in 
press).  Future  research  in  contact  regions  should 
produce  additional  clues  concerning  some 
relationships. 

BoA  and  Harris  & Franklin  (2000)  treat  Batis 
minor  as  a species — Black-headed  Batis — with 
three  subspecies,  minor , suahelicus  and  erlangeri. 
On  balance,  however,  I find  the  differences 
between  erlangeri  and  minor! suahelicus  sufficient 
to  warrant  recognition  of  two  species — Eastern 
Black-headed  Batis  B.  minor  (named  East  Coast 
Black-headed  Batis  by  Jackson  1938),  consisting 


of  two  subspecies,  minor  and  suahelicus,  and 
Western  Black-headed  Batis  B.  erlangeri,  also  com- 
prising two  subspecies,  erlangeri  and  congoensis. 

Material  and  methods 

I studied  all  specimens  held  at  the  Royal  Museum 
for  Central  Africa,  Tervuren,  Belgium  (RMCA) 
( minor.  2;  suahelicus : 4;  perkeo : 9;  erlangeri:  31  and 
congoensis : 119)  and  several  dozen  of  others,  espe- 
cially of  taxa  less  well  represented  in  the  RMCA, 
in  The  Natural  History  Museum,  Tring,  UK, 
Museum  National  d’Histoire  Naturelle,  Paris, 
France,  Naturhistorisches  Museum,  Vienna, 
Austria,  and  Zoologisches  Forschungsinstitut  und 
Museum  Alexander  Koenig,  Bonn,  Germany. 
Standard  mensural  data  (flattened  wing-chord, 
tail,  tarsus  and  total  culmen)  were  taken  with  rule 
and  callipers  for  the  RMCA  material.  I also  under- 
took a complete  literature  research  and  compared 
data  on  voice  and  habitat  (all  references  in  Louette 
in  press). 

Zoogeography 

Where  two  or  more  Batis  species  occur  together, 
they  are  usually  ecologically  segregated  by  habitat 
preferences.  R.  J.  Dowsett  ( in  litt.  2003)  noted 
that  a number  of  Batis  species  replace  each  other, 
in  some  cases  even  beyond  the  same  superspecies. 
Nevertheless,  B.  minor  sensu  lato  is  narrowly  sym- 
patric  with  four  of  the  five  paraspecies  of  the  Batis 
[senegalensis]  superspecies  (named  B.  [ molitor]  in 
BoA;  the  International  Code  of  Zoological 
Nomenclature , fourth  edn,  1999,  indicates  that  the 
oldest  species  name  must  be  used  for  super- 
species), respectively  Senegal  Batis  B.  senegalensis, 


Western  Black-headed  Batis:  a separate  species  consisting  of  two  subspecies : Louette 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  - 99 


Chinspot  Batis  B.  molitor , East  Coast  Batis  B.  soror 
and  Grey-headed  Batis  B.  orientalis  (the  fifth  being 
the  extralimital  Pririt  Batis  B.  print).  Thus,  B. 
erlangeri  seems  to  overlap  with  B.  senegalensis  in 
Cameroon  (Languy  submitted);  although  the 
specimens  listed  by  Good  (1953)  from  Yaounde, 
Bafia  and  Meiganga  are  all  erlangeri , not  senegalen- 
sis. It  is  also  known  to  overlap  with  B.  molitor  at 
one  locality,  Djambala,  in  Congo  (Rand  et  al. 
1959),  at  a few  localities  in  DR  Congo  (Louette 
1987,  Demey  et  al.  2000)  and  somewhat  more 
widely  in  western  Kenya  (Lewis  & Pomeroy 
1989).  B.  minor  overlaps  with  B.  soror  on  the 
Kenyan  coast  (Lewis  & Pomeroy  1989).  Overlap 
of  B.  minor  sensu  lato  with  B.  orientalis  is  very  mar- 
ginal in  Kenya  (see  Zimmerman  et  al.  1996,  who 
admit  only  one  locality,  confirmed  by  D.  A. 
Turner  pers.  comm.,  contra  Lewis  & Pomeroy 
1989),  but  that  of  B.  erlangeri  with  B.  orientalis  is 
claimed  to  be  very  extensive  in  Sudan  (Nikolaus 
1987).  This,  however,  requires  further  study, 
because  few  specimens  have  been  correctly  identi- 
fied beyond  doubt.  Although  the  existence  of  a 
cline  between  orientalis  and  ‘ minor  (=  erlangeri ) in 
Chad  and  the  Central  African  Republic  was  sug- 
gested by  Vielliard  (1972),  he,  and  subsequently 
also  Lawson  (1987),  may  have  been  confused. 
Indeed,  the  form  minor  was  originally  described  as 
a subspecies  of  B.  orientalis  and  the  subspecies 
chadensis,  now  in  B.  orientalis , was  placed  in  B. 
minor  sensu  lato  by  Rand  (1953).  The  identifica- 
tion of  specimens  must  be  made  with  great  care 
(see  Zimmerman  et  al.  1996)  and  I suspect,  from 
the  material  in  Vienna  and  Paris,  that  Grey- 
headed Batis  (of  which  the  female  has  a more 
brownish,  not  greyish  tone  to  the  neck)  generally 
occurs  north  of  the  range  of  Western  Black-head- 
ed Batis,  probably  with  restricted  overlap.  Thus, 
the  northern  limit  of  the  range  of  Western  Black- 
headed Batis  (Fig.  1)  must  be  considered  tentative. 
Vocalisations  seem  to  be  of  limited  importance  to 
study  relationships  in  Batis  (F.  Dowsett-Lemaire 
pers.  comm.).  Their  comparison  (from  Chappuis 
2000)  suggests  nevertheless  that  orientalis  belongs 
to  the  Batis  [senegalensis]  superspecies  and  that 
Batis  minor  sensu  lato  cannot  be  its  close  relative. 
The  local  variation  in  vocalisations  in  the  latter  is 
important  (Harris  & Franklin  2000,  F.  Dowsett- 
Lemaire  pers.  comm.);  the  brief  voice  comparison, 
as  deduced  from  the  literature,  is  given  here  for 
general  information. 


The  ranges  of  the  populations  of  Batis  minor 
sensu  lato  are  disjunct  (Fig.  1).  No  other  bird 
species  shares  a similar  distribution  pattern. 
Because  the  eastern  forms,  minor  (in  southern 
Somalia)  and  suahelicus  (from  Kenya  and 
Tanzania),  are  not  in  geographical  contact  with 
the  rest  of  the  population,  their  relationship  can- 
not be  field-tested.  Pygmy  Batis  B.  perkeo  occupies 
part  of  the  range  between  erlangeri  and  minor / sua- 
helicus in  arid  and  semi-arid  East  Africa,  where  it 
generally  prefers  drier  habitat  (see  habitat  compar- 
ison). Nevertheless,  given  that  it  is  vocally  more 
like  B.  minor , not  B.  molitor , and  that  it  too  is 
locally  sympatric  with  B.  orientalis  (Zimmerman  et 
al.  1996),  B.  perkeo  cannot  be  considered  part  of 
the  B.  [senegalensis]  superspecies.  Although  B. 
perkeo  may  be  related  to  either  minor! suahelicus  or 
erlangeri , or  to  both,  it  is  not  conspecific  with 
them,  as  it  overlaps  geographically  (albeit  margin- 
ally) with  both  (Fig.  1).  At  present,  the  distribu- 
tion of  the  three  forms,  from  west  to  east,  western 
B.  minor  sensu  lato , B.  perkeo  and  eastern  B.  minor 
sensu  lato  suggests  they  are  three  separate 
(para)species.  There  is  no  a priori  reason  for  con- 
specificity  of  the  western  and  eastern  forms.  It  is 
indispensable  to  include  all  three  in  the  analysis. 

Voice 

Batis  erlangeri 

Ringing,  monotonous,  pure  and  clear  penetrating 
whistles,  the  pitch  of  each  note  rising.  Varies 
regionally  in  modulation  (Zimmerman  et  al. 
1996,  Dowsett-Lemaire  1997,  Chappuis  2000). 

Batis  minor 

Drawn-out,  piping,  high-pitched  notes,  usually  in 
groups  of  2-3,  first  note  lower,  clear  and  ringing. 
Slower,  longer  than  B.  erlangeri  (Harris  & 
Franklin  2000). 

Batis  perkeo 

Penetrating  piping  notes,  sharper,  more  ringing 
and  less  drawn-out  than  in  B.  minor , which  it  sug- 
gests, in  series  of  up  to  20  notes  (Zimmerman  et 
al.  1996). 

Habitat 

Batis  erlangeri 

Secondary  forest,  woodland,  wooded  grassland, 
large  gardens. 


100  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Western  Black-headed  Batis:  a separate  species  consisting  of  two  subspecies:  Louette 


Batis  minor 

Wooded  steppe  with  Acacia  and  Commiphora ; also 
riverine  habitat  (occasionally  in  woodland  and 
along  small  watercourses  in  Tsavo  East,  Kenya). 
On  Mt  Endau  present  in  semi-deciduous  forest 
and  patches  of  mist  forest. 

Batis  perkeo 

Trees  and  scrub  in  arid  regions,  woodland  and 
wooded  grassland.  Thorn  scrub,  Acacia  woodland 
and  Commiphora  country.  All  habitats  with  trees, 
except  riverine  (competition  with  B.  minor)  in 
Tsavo  East.  Tolerates  arid  conditions. 

Morphology 

The  form  erlangeri  (including  congoensis\  see 
below)  is  significantly  larger  (wing-chord  being 
used  as  a parameter  for  size)  than  minor  and  sua- 
helicus', Pygmy  Batis  is  the  smallest  of  the  genus 
(Figs.  2-3;  Tables  1-2;  for  additional  measure- 
ments, see  Lawson  1987). 

Compared  to  minor  and  suahelicus,  erlangeri  is 
also  darker  on  the  mantle,  but  less  black  on  top  of 
the  head.  Females  have  more  olive  wash.  However, 
variation  in  plumage  details  between  specimens  of 
the  same  population  is  occasionally  considerable, 
sometimes  being  as  great  as  that  between  species. 
This  is  the  case  for  the  darkness  of  the  crown  in 
the  group  under  discussion  here. 

The  conventional  grouping  of  all  ‘black- 
headed’ batises  into  a single  species,  B.  minor  sensu 
lato , is  perhaps  because  all  exhibit  the  ‘standard’ 
Batis  plumage  pattern,  consisting  of  a black  breast- 
band  in  males  and  a brown  breast-band  in  females. 
This,  however,  may  be  due  to  coincidence  and 


Table  1.  Mean  of  measurements  (in  mm)  of  the  wing  of 
adult  Batis  spp.  specimens  in  RMCA:  samples  (n). 

Tableau  1.  Moyenne  des  mensurations  (mm)  de  I’aile  de 
specimens  adultes  de  Batis  spp.  au  MRAC. 


Males 

n 

Wing-chord 

B.  perkeo 

4 

51.3 

B.  m.  minor 

1 

53.5 

B.  m.  suahelicus 

Females 

2 

55.0 

8.  perkeo 

4 

51.0 

B.  m.  minor 

1 

53.0 

B.  m.  suahelicus 

2 

54.3 

does  not  necessarily  prove  their  relationship.  In 
congenerics  that  do  form  a clear  taxonomic  unit, 
such  as  the  Batis  [ senegalensis ] superspecies,  such 
morphological  uniformity  does  not  exist  (female 
B.  senegalensis  have  much  brown  dorsally  and 
female  B.  molitor , B.  soror  and  B.  print  have  a 
brown  throat  patch,  whereas  B.  orientals  is  ‘stan- 
dard’). Some  of  the  forest  batises,  such  as  Angola 
Batis  B.  minulla  and  Bioko  Batis  B.  poensis  also 
have  ‘standard’  plumages. 

Size  and  plumage 

Batis  erlangeri 

1 1 cm;  8.3-14.0  g.  Male:  crown  and  mantle  dark, 
normally  darker  than  B.  minor , jet  black,  but  some 
individuals  more  greyish.  There  is  a very  dark 
specimen  (RMCA  63028),  from  Lusambo,  Kasai, 
DR  Congo  (Figs.  4-3).  Female:  breast-band 
maroon  (Fig.  6). 

Batis  minor 

10  cm;  9.3-13.8  g.  Male  m.  minor,  crown  and 
nape  blackish  or  dark  grey  (crown  colour  easily 
confused  with  B.  orientalis) ; m.  suahelicus:  head 
greyer  black.  Female  m.  minor,  breast-band  dark 
chestnut,  dorsally  tinged  brown/olivaceous;  m. 
suahelicus  breast-band  narrower. 

Batis  perkeo 

8-9  cm;  3-9  g.  Male:  forehead,  crown  and  back 
bluish  grey;  top  of  head  less  black  than  B.  minor , 
but  mantle  generally  darker.  Female:  washed  more 
olive  than  B.  minor,  dorsally  paler  and  browner; 
supercilium,  throat  and,  in  some,  neck  tinged 
rusty  or  yellowish;  breast-band  rufous  or  buff,  not 
deeply  saturated. 

Geographical  variation 

Batis  erlangeri 

The  isolated  population  occurring  south  of  the 
equatorial  forest  in  southern  DR  Congo  and 
neighbouring  countries  (Fig.  1,  see  details  in 
Louette  2005)  was  described  as  subspecies  con- 
goensis  by  Neumann  (1907),  based  mainly  on  the 
paler  grey  back  of  the  female.  Other  subspecies 
( nyansae  and  hatesi)  have  been  proposed,  but  I 
consider  the  limited  material  I have  seen  indistin- 
guishable. Chapin  (1953)  accepted  congoensis  with 
misgivings,  ‘the  status  of  B.  m.  congoensis  seems 
very  doubtful’  (p.66l)  and  ‘I  very  much  doubt 
that  B.  m.  congoensis  can  really  be  distinguished 


Western  Black-headed  Batis:  a separate  species  consisting  of  two  subspecies:  Louette 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) - 101 


1 


102  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Western  Black-headed  Batis:  a separate  species  consisting  of  two  subspecies:  Louette 


4 

Figure  1.  Distribution  of  Batis  e.  erlangeri  (red),  B.  e. 
congoensis  (green),  B.  minor  (blue)  and  B.  perkeo  (yellow). 

La  repartition  de  Batis  e.  erlangeri  (rouge),  B.  e.  congoensis 
(vert),  B.  minor  (bleu)  et  B.  perkeo  (jaune). 

Figure  2.  Ventral  view  of  specimens  of  (from  left  to  right 
and  from  top  to  bottom)  Batis  perkeo,  B.  m.  minor,  B.  e. 
congoensis  and  B.  e.  erlangeri  (Alain  Reygel).  © Royal 
Museum  for  Central  Africa,  Tervuren,  Belgium 

Vue  ventrale  de  specimens  de  Batis  perkeo,  B.  m.  minor , 

B.  e.  congoensis  et  B.  e.  erlangeri  (de  gauche  a droite  et  de 
haut  en  bas)  (Alain  Reygel).  © Royal  Museum  for 
Central  Africa,  Tervuren,  Belgium 


Captions  continued  on  page  1 04 


Western  Black-headed  Batis:  a separate  species  consisting  of  two  subspecies:  Louette 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  - 103 


Table  2.  Measurements  (in  mm)  of  the  wing,  tail,  culmen  and  tarsus  of  adult  Batis  erlangeri  specimens  in  RMCA  from  DR 
Congo:  samples  (n).  Mean  ± standard  deviation.  Mann-Whitney  statistical  comparisons  between  northern  (=  north  of  the 
equatorial  forest)  B.  e.  erlangeri  and  southern  (=  south  of  the  equatorial  forest)  B.  e.  congoensis  populations. 


Tableau  2.  Moyenne  et  deviation  standard  des  mensurations  (mm)  de  I’aile,  de  la  queue,  du  culmen  et  du  tarse  de  speci- 
mens adultes  provenant  de  la  RD  Congo  de  Batis  erlangeri  au  MRAC.  Comparaison  statistique  Mann-Whitney  entre  les 
populations  du  nord  de  la  foret  equatoriale  (B.  e.  erlangeri ) et  de  celles  du  sud  de  la  foret  equatoriale  ( B . e.  congoensis). 


Males 

n 

Wing-chord 

Tail 

Culmen 

Tarsus 

B.  e.  erlangeri 

18 

59.8  + 1.8 

42.4  ±1.5 

13.0  ±0.4 

16.4  ±0.9 

B.  e.  congoensis 

32 

59.9  ±1.6 

40.8  ±1.2 

12.4  ±0.5 

15.5  ±0.7 

U-tests:  P-levels 

Females 

.7541 

.0005 

.0007 

.0033 

B.  e.  erlangeri 

19 

58.1  + 1.5 

40.3  ±1.1 

12.7  ±0.5  (18) 

15.1  ±0.7 

B.  e.  congoensis 

33 

58.8  ±1.3 

40.3  ±1.1 

12.2  ±0.5  (32) 

14.9  ±0.6 

U-tests:  P-levels 

.0964 

.9243 

.0045 

.4586 

from  nyansae...ln  size  they  are  equal,  and  I cannot 
confirm  the  statement  by  Neumann  that  females 
of  congoensis  are  clearer  gray  above’  (p.663).  BoA 
and  Harris  & Franklin  (2000)  did  not  accept  con- 


ceptions to  figures  on  page  1 03 

Figure  3.  Dorsal  view  of  specimens  of  (from  left  to  right 
and  from  top  to  bottom)  Batis  perkeo,  B.  m.  minor,  B.  e. 
congoensis  and  B.  e.  erlangeri  (Alain  Reygel).  © Royal 
Museum  for  Central  Africa,  Tervuren,  Belgium 

Vue  dorsale  de  specimens  de  Batis  perkeo , B.  m.  minor , B. 
e.  congoensis  et  B.  e.  erlangeri  (de  gauche  a droite  et  de 
haut  en  has)  (Alain  Reygel).  © Royal  Museum  for 
Central  Africa,  Tervuren,  Belgium 

Figure  4.  Ventral  view  of  aberrant  male  specimen  RMCA 
63028  from  Lusambo  (left)  and  normal’  Batis  e.  congoen- 
sis male  (right)  (Alain  Reygel).  © Royal  Museum  for 
Central  Africa,  Tervuren,  Belgium 
Vue  ventrale  du  specimen  aberrant  MRAC  63028  de 
Batis  e.  congoensis  (a  gauche)  et  d’un  specimen  « normal  » 
(a  droite)  (Alain  Reygel).  © Royal  Museum  for  Central 
Africa,  Tervuren,  Belgium 

Figure  5.  Dorsal  view  of  aberrant  male  specimen  RMCA 
63028  from  Lusambo  (left)  and  ‘normal’  Batis  e.  congoen- 
sis male  (right)  (Alain  Reygel).  © Royal  Museum  for 
Central  Africa,  Tervuren,  Belgium 
Vue  dorsale  du  specimen  aberrant  MRAC  63028  de 
Batis  e.  congoensis  (a  gauche)  et  d’un  specimen  « normal  » 
(a  droite)  (Alain  Reygel).  © Royal  Museum  for  Central 
Africa,  Tervuren,  Belgium 

Figure  6.  Female  of  Western  Black-headed  Batis  Batis 
erlangeri  on  its  nest  in  Cameroon  (Roger  Fotso) 

La  femelle  de  Batis  erlangeri  sur  son  nid  au  Cameroun 
(Roger  Fotso) 


goensis.  However,  as  birds  of  this  population  have 
a statistically  significant  shorter  bill  and  shorter 
tail  (in  males  only)  than  those  of  the  northern 
population  (Table  2),  I here  restore  this  sub- 
species. The  biological  meaning  of  these  differ- 
ences is  unknown.  They  are  sufficiently  small  not 
to  suggest  a difference  at  species  level. 

Batis  minor 

The  s uahelicus  population  differs  from  the  nomi- 
nate race  in  having  a greyer  black  head  and  a nar- 
rower breast-band  in  the  female.  This  difference  is 
considered  to  be  small  and  not  attaining  species 
level. 

Batis  perkeo 
No  variation  described. 

Conclusion 

Distribution  of  the  batises  (and  of  birds  in  gener- 
al) in  north-central  Africa,  size  and  vocalisations 
suggest  that  B.  minor  sensu  lato  merits  division 
into  two  species.  Specimen  mensural  data  more- 
over provide  sufficient  evidence  to  consider  B. 
erlangeri  (which  is  larger  than  B.  minor  sensu  stric- 
to)  as  comprising  two  subspecies.  Especially  the 
bill  is,  in  series,  smaller  in  the  population  south  of 
the  equatorial  forest  in  south-west  DR  Congo  and 
adjoining  areas  (subspecies  congoensis ) than  in  the 
nominate  northern  B.  e.  erlangeri  population. 

Acknowledgements 

I thank  the  following  curators:  Robert  Prys-Jones 
(Tring),  Eric  Pasquet  (Paris),  Ernst  Bauernfeind 


104  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Western  Black-headed  Batis:  a separate  species  consisting  of  two  subspecies:  Louette 


(Vienna)  and  Renate  van  den  Elzen  (Bonn),  as  well 
as  Marc  Languy  and  Don  Turner  for  their  com- 
ments. Ron  Demey  suggested  that  I write  this  paper 
and  he,  Franchise  Dowsett-Lemaire  and  Robert 
Dowsett  suggested  corrections  to  its  draft.  Alain 
Reygel  assisted  my  examination  of  specimens,  and  he 
and  Danny  Meirte  prepared  the  map.  Roger  Fotso 
photographed  the  bird  in  Cameroon. 

References 

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Demey,  R.,  Herroelen,  P.  & Pedersen,  T.  2000. 
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6:  15-48. 

Good,  A.  I.  1953.  The  birds  of  French  Cameroon.  Part 
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shrikes,  including  wood-shrikes,  helmet-shrikes, 
flycatcher-shrikes,  philentomas,  batises  and  wattle- 
eyes.  London,  UK:  Christopher  Helm. 

Jackson,  F.  J.  1938.  The  Birds  of  Kenya  Colony  and  the 
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& Jackson. 

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and  distribution.  Stud.  Afotropical  Zool. 

Lawson,  W.  J.  1986.  Speciation  in  the  forest-dwelling 
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Lawson,  W.  J.  1987.  Systematics  and  evolution  in  the 
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Louette,  M.  1987.  Additions  and  corrections  to  the  avi- 
fauna of  Zaire.  Bull.  Br.  Ornithol.  Club  107: 
137-143. 

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Western  Black-headed  Batis:  a separate  species  consisting  of  two  subspecies:  Louette 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  - 105 


Rare  birds  in  Morocco:  report  of  the  Moroccan 
Rare  Birds  Committee  (2001-2003) 

Patrick  Bergiera,  Jacques  Franchimont^ , Michel  Thevenot c and  the  Moroccan  Rare  Birds  Committee 


Les  oiseaux  rares  au  Maroc:  rapport  de  la  Commission  d’Homologation  Marocaine 
(2001-2003).  Apres  les  deux  premieres  syntheses  triennales  parues  dans  le  Bulletin  de  l’African 
Bird  Club  (Bergier  et  al.  2000,  2002a),  ce  nouveau  rapport  detaille  les  137  donnees  analysees 
entre  2001  et  2003,  dont  99  ont  ete  acceptees.  Quatre  especes  / sous-especes  ont  ete  signalees 
pour  la  premiere  fois  au  Maroc:  Goeland  de  la  Baltique  Larus  fuscus  fuscus,  Mergule  nain  Alle  alle , 
Martinet  cf.  ramoneur  Chaetura  sp.  cf.  pelagica  et  Corbeau  familier  Corvus  splendens.  La  mention 
du  Mergule  nain  est  probablement  la  premiere  documentee  pour  l’Afrique  continentale. 


The  two  first  triennial  reports  of  the  Moroccan 
Rare  Birds  Committee  (MRBC)  appeared  in 
Bull.  ABC  in  2000  and  2002.  This  third  report 
includes  137  records  for  2001-03  (see  Table  1). 
Ninety-nine  have  been  accepted,  including  four 
species/subspecies  new  for  Morocco:  Baltic  Lesser 
Black-backed  Gull  Larus  fuscus  fuscus , Little  Auk 
Alle  alle , a Chaetura  sp.,  probably  Chimney  Swift 
C.  pelagica  and  House  Crow  Corvus  splendens.  The 
Little  Auk  record  is  probably  the  first  documented 
for  continental  Africa.  Annual  reports  for  the  peri- 
od were  published  in  Porphyrio  (Bergier  et  al. 
2002b,  2003a)  and  in  Go-South  Bulletin  (Bergier 
et  al.  2004). 

The  updated  list  of  species  considered  by 
MRBC  is  at  http://www.ifrance.com/Go-South/ 
and  includes  true  vagrants  (i.e.  species  with  fewer 
than  30  records)  and  rare  or  little-known  species 
whose  current  status  is  inadequately  known.  We 
strongly  urge  visiting  birdwatchers  to  submit 
descriptions  of  relevant  species  to  the  MRBC 
Secretary:  Prof.  Jacques  Franchimont,  Quartier 
Abbas  Lemsaadi,  rue  n°6,  n°22,  30.000  Meknes 
V.N.,  Morocco. 


Presentation  of  data 

The  presentation  of  data  follows  the  pattern  of 
MRBC  reports  for  1995-97  and  1998-2000 
(Bergier  et  al.  2000,  2002a).  For  all  species,  the 
following  sequence  has  been  used. 

• English  and  scientific  names 

• Status  according  to  the  following  codes: 


RB 

Resident 

MB 

Migrant  breeder 

OB 

Occasional  breeder 

FB 

Former  breeder 

PM 

Passage  migrant 

WV 

Winter  visitor 

OW 

Occasional  winter 
migrant  (MB,  PM) 

visitor, 

otherwise 

AY 

Accidental  visitor 
records) 

(fewer 

than  30 

F(AV)  Former  accidental  visitor  (not  recorded 
since  1899) 

? Indicates  doubt  concerning  relevant 
status 

• Details  of:  year,  MRBC  file  number,  region  (see 
map),  site,  number  of  birds  (one  unless  other- 
wise stated),  age,  sex,  other  data  if  applicable, 
date(s)  of  observation,  and  recorder(s)  name(s) 

• Comments 


Table  1.  Number  of  records  analysed  by  the  MRBC  in  2001-03 


Tableau  1.  Nombre  de  donnees  examinees  par  la  CHM  en  2001-03 


1990  1991  1996  1997  1999  2000 

2001 

2002  2003 

Total 

Accepted 

Rejected 

Seventh  report  (2001) 

1 10 

38 

49 

34 

15 

Eighth  report  (2002) 

11  1 2 

15 

30 

50 

35 

15 

Ninth  report  (2003) 

1 

10  27 

38 

30 

8 

106  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Rare  birds  in  Morocco:  Bergier  et  al. 


Rif 

1.1  Tangier  Peninsula 

1.2  Jbala 

1.3  High  Rif 

1.4  Southern  Rif 

1.5  Eastern  Rif 

North  Atlantic  Plains  & Hills 

II.  1 Rharb 

II.  2 Prbrif 

11.3  Sars 

11.4  Zemmour 

11.5  Zaer 

Middle  Atlantic  Plains  & 
Plateaux 

III.  1 Chaoui'a 

1 1 1.2  Doukkala 

111.3  Abda 

1 1 1.4  Chiadma 

III.  5 Plateau  des  Phosphates 
III.  6 Tadla 
III.  7 Rehamna 

1 1 1.8  Srarhna 

111. 9 Haouz  & Jbilet 

Central  Plateau 

IV  Central  Plateau 

Milddle  Atlas 

V.  1 Western  Middle  Atlas 

V. 2  Eastern  Middle  Atlas 

High  Atlas 

VI.  1 Haha 

VI.  2 Western  High  Atlas 

VI.  3 Central  High  Atlas 
VIA  Eastern  High  Atlas 

Eastern  Morocco 

VII.  1 Plains  of  Eastern  Morocco 
VI  1.2  Hills  of  Eastern  Morocco 
VI  1.3  High  Moulouya 

VI  1.4  Middle  Moulouya 

VII.  5 High  Plateaux 
VII.  6 Saharan  Atlas 

Souss 

VIII  Souss 

Anti-Atlas 

IX.  1 Western  Anti-Atlas 

IX.  2 Central  Anti-Atlas 

IX.  3 Eastern  Anti-Atlas 

IX.  4 Sarhro 

East  Saharan  Morocco 

X.  1 South  Eastern  Sahara 

X.2  Tafilalt 

X.3  Dadds-Draa 

X.4  Middle  Draa 


lim  8*W  6*W  4*W 


West  Saharan  Morocco 

XI.  1 Lower  Draa 

XI.  2 Tarfaya 

XI.  3 Saquiat  Al-Hamra 

XI.  4 Oued  Ad-Deheb 


Figure  1 . Map  showing  the  regions  of  Morocco  used  in  this  report  (see  also  Thevenot  et  al.  2003) 
Carte  avec  les  regions  du  Maroc  utilisees  dans  ce  rapport  (voir  egalement  Thevenot  et  al.  2003) 


For  accidentals,  six  numbers  in  brackets  follow 
the  status  code.  The  first  two  indicate  the  number 


of  records  in  the  files  of  the  Centrale 
Ornithologique  Marocaine  prior  to  the  formation 


Rare  birds  in  Morocco:  Bergier  et  al. 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) -107 


of  MRBC,  and  the  number  of  birds  involved.  The 
second  pair  indicate  the  number  of  records 
accepted  by  MRBC  and  published  in  the  previous 
triennial  reports,  and  the  number  of  birds 
involved.  The  last  pair  indicates  the  number  of 
records  accepted  by  MRBC  in  2001-03,  and  the 
number  of  birds  involved.  For  rare  or  little-known 
species,  only  the  two  last  pairs  are  presented.  The 
systematic  list  follows  the  sequence  of  species  for 
which  details  are  required  by  MRBC 
(www.ifrance.com/go-south/lists/Liste_ 
Oiseaux_Maroc_Annexe4.pdf) . 

List  of  accepted  records 

Great  Northern  (?)  Diver  Gavia  sp.  cf.  immer  AV 
(3/3,  1/1,  1/1) 

1997  (97/29)  Plains  of  Eastern  Morocco,  Melilla  har- 

bour, immature/first- winter,  28  December 
1997-11  January  1998  (D.  Jerez  Abad  & R. 
Ramirez  Espinar) 

This  diver  was  probably  a Great  Northern,  which  is 
an  accidental  visitor  to  the  Strait  of  Gibraltar  (Irby 
1893,  Finlayson  1992)  and  the  Atlantic  coast.  This 
record  would  be  the  first  on  the  Mediterranean 
coast  of  Morocco;  further  east,  in  Algeria,  the 
species  has  been  reported  in  the  19th  century  but 
not  recently  (Isenmann  & Moali  2000). 

Manx  Shearwater  Puffinus puffinus  PM,  OW  (-/-, 
1/70+,  1/9) 

2002  (02/05)  Souss,  Agadir  harbour,  nine,  16  January 

(A.  B.  Kristensen  et  al) 

Manx  Shearwater  is  an  uncommon  passage  migrant 
along  the  Atlantic  coast  of  Morocco  and  is  only  occa- 
sionally recorded  in  winter  (Thevenot  et  al.  2003). 

Great  White  Pelican  Pelecanus  onocrotalus  AV 

(2/2,  0/0,  1/1) 

2002  (02/31)  Tafilalt,  Merzouga,  subadult,  29  March 
(R.  Cruse  et  al) 

Third  record  for  Morocco.  The  first  was  at  Cap 
Blanc  in  southern  Western  Sahara;  the  second  was 
also  in  a pre-desert  area,  at  Barrage  Mansour 
Eddahbi,  near  Ouarzazate,  250  km  east  of 
Merzouga,  on  13  February-3  April  1983 
(Thevenot  et  al.  2003). 

Great  Bittern  Botaurus  stellaris  PM,  WV,  FB,  MB? 

(-/-,  0/0,  1/1) 

2003  (03/18)  Souss,  Massa  estuary,  10  April  (V. 
Schollaert  et  al.) 

Included  in  the  MRBC  list  as  it  is  now  rare  at  all 
seasons.  This  bird  was  apparently  first  seen  on  3 


March  (Birding  World  16:  107)  and  was  seen  again 
on  4 April  (A.  Blomdahl  et  al).  Only  two  previous 
records  at  Massa  (29  December  1987-1  January 
1988  and  8 April  1990),  but  the  species  has 
reached  West  Africa  (Thevenot  et  al.  2003). 

Great  White  Egret  Egretta  (, Ardea ) alba  OW,  PM 
(-/-,  7/7,  9/12) 

2000  (00/19)  Plains  of  Eastern  Morocco,  Kert  estuary, 

Nador,  8 October,  photo,  subspecies  alba  (D. 
Jerez  Abad  & R.  Ramirez  Espinar) 

2000  (00/27)  Souss,  Souss  estuary,  9 March  (FI.  & O. 
Karhu) 

2001  (01/17)  Eastern  High  Atlas,  Barrage  Hassan 
Addakhil,  16  March,  subspecies  alba  (V. 
Schollaert  & G.  Willem) 

2001  (01/47)  Plains  of  Eastern  Morocco,  Barrage 
Mohamed  V,  17  September,  adult  (D.  Jerez  Abad 
& R.  Ramirez  Espinar) 

2002  (02/30)  Dades-Draa,  Barrage  Mansour  Eddhabi, 
Ouarzazate,  26  March  (R.  Cruse  et  al.) 

2003  (03/05)  Rharb,  Lower  Loukkos  Marshes,  Larache, 
two  adults,  23  March  (J.  Franchimont  & F.  Touati 
Malih) 

2003  (03/ 16a)  Rharb,  Lower  Loukkos  Marshes, 

Larache,  31  March  (V.  Schollaert  et  al) 

2003  (03/1 6b)  Rharb,  Lower  Loukkos  Marshes, 

Larache,  three,  1 5 April  (V.  Schollaert  et  al) 

2003  (03/20)  Dades-Draa,  Barrage  Mansour  Eddhabi, 

Ouarzazate,  1 3 April  (A.  Blomdahl  et  al.) 
Probably  now  a regular  winter  visitor  to  northern 
Morocco,  especially  in  Plains  of  Eastern  Morocco 
and  in  Rharb.  South  of  the  Atlas,  the  species  is 
rare,  especially  inland;  the  record  at  Barrage 
Flassan  Addakhil  near  Errachidia  is  the  first  there, 
and  those  at  Barrage  Mansour  Eddhabi,  near 
Ouarzazate,  only  the  third  and  fourth  there  (pre- 
vious records  were  in  March  1967  with  two  on  2 
February  2003:  Vernon  1972,  Dutch  Birding  25: 
130).  Elsewhere,  there  is  only  one  other  record 
from  Dades-Draa  (Oued  Draa,  at  Zagora,  in  April 
1981)  and  two  in  Tafilalt  at  Aoufous  and 
Merzouga  (possibly  the  same)  in  December  1989 
(Thevenot  et  al.  2003).  The  bird  at  the  Souss  estu- 
ary on  9 March  2000  was  probably  the  same  as 
that  on  18-19  April  2000  (Bergier  et  al.  2002a). 

Blue-winged  Teal  Anas  discors  AV  (14/22+,  3/3, 

2/2) 

1990  (90/03)  Plains  of  Eastern  Morocco,  Barrage  Tleta 

Boubker,  male,  17  January  (D.  Jerez  Abad  & R. 
Ramirez  Espinar) 

2001  (01/32)  Rharb,  Sidi  Bou  Rhaba,  female,  15 

September  (V.  Schollaert  et  al) 


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Rare  birds  in  Morocco:  Bergier  et  al. 


Figure  2.  Accepted  records  of  Blue-winged  Teal  Anas  dis- 
cors  (n=  1 9)  in  Morocco,  by  month.  For  records  spanning 
more  than  one  month,  only  the  first  date  is  considered. 

Repartition  mensuelle  des  mentions  acceptees  de  la 
Sarcelle  a ailes  bleues  Anas  discors  (n=  1 9)  au  Maroc.  Pour 
les  mentions  couvrant  plus  d’un  mois,  settlement  la  pre- 
miere date  est  prise  en  compte. 

The  18th  and  19th  records  in  Morocco,  the  sec- 
ond near  the  Mediterranean  coast  and  the  sixth  at 
Sidi  Bou  Rhaba.  That  on  15  September  was  the 
earliest  ever  recorded  in  Morocco:  previous  obser- 
vations were  all  between  10  October  (Dejonghe 
1981)  and  5 May  (N.  J.  Redman),  with  most  in 
winter  (Fig.  2). 

Ring-necked  Duck  Ay  thy  a co  Haris  AV  (9/13,  2/2, 
3/3) 

2001  (01/05)  Sa'is,  Douyiet,  male,  6 April  (J. 

Franchimont  & A.  El  Ghazi) 


Figure  3.  Accepted  records  of  Ring-necked  Duck  Aythya 
collaris  (n=l4)  in  Morocco,  by  month.  For  records  span- 
ning more  than  one  month,  only  the  first  date  is  consid- 
ered. 

Repartition  mensuelle  des  mentions  acceptees  du 
Fuligule  a collier  Aythya  collaris  (n=l4)  au  Maroc.  Pour 
les  mentions  couvrant  plus  d’un  mois,  seulement  la  pre- 
miere date  est  prise  en  compte. 


2001  (01/38)  Souss,  Massa  estuary,  female,  1 1 April  (G. 

E.  Dobbs;  Fig.  17) 

2003  (03/17)  Souss,  Massa  estuary,  female,  10  April  (V. 

Schollaert  et  al.) 

The  Douyiet  record  is  only  the  third  inland;  those 
at  the  Massa  estuary  are  the  third  and  fourth  at 
this  site,  with  the  female  there  on  11  April  2001 
first  reported  on  31  March  ( Birding  World  14: 
150).  These  three  records  are  the  latest  dates  for 
this  duck,  which  was  previously  recorded  in 


Captions  to  figures  on  page  110 

Figure  7.  Jbel  Sarhro  near  Tazzarine,  May  2004  (P. 
Bergier).  Most  Isabelline  Wheatears  Oenanthe  isabellina 
have  been  recorded  in  pre-desert  areas  of  south-east 
Morocco. 

Jbel  Sarhro,  pres  de  Tazzarine,  mai  2004  (P.  Bergier).  La 
plupart  des  Traquets  isabelles  Oenanthe  isabellina  ont  ete 
observes  dans  les  zones  predesertiques  du  sud-est  du 
Maroc. 

Figure  8.  Oued  El  Malleh  nearTissint,  Middle  Draa, 
May  2004  (P.  Bergier).  Many  sandgrouse,  including 
Lichtenstein’s  Pterocles  lichtensteinii,  come  to  drink  at  the 
large  pools. 

Oued  El  Malleh,  pres  de  Tissint,  Moyen  Draa,  mai  2004 
(P.  Bergier).  Les  mares  attirent  de  nombreux  gangas,  y 
compris  des  Gangas  de  Lichtenstein  Pterocles 
lichtensteinii , qui  viennent  y boire. 

Figure  9.  The  Souss  estuary,  May  2004  (P.  Bergier).  One 
of  the  Moroccan  hotspots  along  the  Atlantic  shore. 

L’estuaire  du  Souss,  mai  2004  (P.  Bergier).  Un  de  points 
chauds  marocains  le  long  de  la  cote  atlantique. 

Figure  10.  The  tiny  oasis  of  Lemseyed,  in  the  riverbed  of 
the  Saquiat  Al-Hamra,  October  2003  (P.  Bergier).  A pair 
of  Barbary  Falcons  Falco  pelegrinoides  nested  nearby. 

La  petite  oasis  de  Lemseyed,  dans  le  lit  du  Saquiat  Al- 
Hamra,  octobre  2003  (P.  Bergier).  Un  couple  de  Faucons 
de  Barbarie  Falco  pelegrinoides  nichait  dans  les  environs. 

Figure  1 1 . Agadir,  bay  and  harbour,  October  2002  (P. 
Bergier) 

La  baie  et  le  port  d’Agadir,  octobre  2002  (P.  Bergier) 
Figure  12.  Barrage  Mansour  Ed-Dahbi,  Ouarzazate, 
November  1995  (R.  Vernon) 

Figure  13.  Erg  Chebbi  and  its  surrounding,  Merzouga, 
October  1974  (F.  Fornairon) 

Erg  Chebbi  et  ses  environs,  Merzouga,  octobre  1974  (F. 
Fornairon) 

Figure  14.  The  surrounding  countryside  of  the  Oued 
Draa  south  of  Goulimine,  May  1994  (P.  Geniez) 

Les  environs  de  l’Oued  Draa  au  sud  de  Goulimine,  mai 
1994  (P.  Geniez) 


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Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) -109 


1 10  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


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Figure  15.  Marshes  of  the  Lower  Loukkos,  Larache,  April 
1993  (P.  Beaubrun) 

Marais  du  has  Loukkos,  Larache,  avril  1993  (P. 

Beaubrun) 

Figure  16.  The  Moulouya  estuary,  September  1993  (P. 
Beaubrun) 

L’estuaire  de  Moulouya,  septembre  1993  (P.  Beaubrun) 

Figure  17.  Adult  female  Ring-necked  Duck  / Fuligule  a 
collier  Ay  thy  a collaris , Massa  estuary,  11  April  2001  (G. 

E.  Dobbs) 


Figure  18.  Roseate  Tern  / Sterne  de  Dougall  Sterna 
dougallii,  Oued  Tamri  estuary,  16  January  2002  (J.  S. 
Flansen) 

Figure  19.  Richard’s  Pipit  / Pipit  de  Richard  Anthus 
richardi , Oued  Massa,  1 January  2001  (H.  Dufourny) 

Figure  20.  Male  Isabelline  Wheatear  / Traquet  isabelle 
Oenanthe  isabellina , Barrage  Hassan  Addakhil, 
Errachidia,  16  March  2001  (G.  Willem) 


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Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  -111 


Morocco  only  between  19  October  and  13  March 
(Thevenot  et  al.  2003)  (Fig.  3). 

Ruddy  Duck  Oxyura jamaicensis  AV,  OB?  (69/78, 
3/29,  2/2) 

2001  (01/ 36)  Plains  of  Eastern  Morocco,  Barrage  Tleta 

Boubker,  female,  6 October  (D.  Jerez  Abad  & R. 
Ramirez  Espinar) 

2001  (01/48)  Plains  of  Eastern  Morocco,  Barrage 

Mohamed  V,  female,  25  November  (D.  Jerez 
Abad  & R.  Ramirez  Espinar) 

These  records  possibly  involved  the  same  individ- 
ual, as  the  two  sites  are  only  c.  50  km  apart. 
Records  have  decreased  since  1998,  following 
commencement  of  an  eradication  policy  in  many 
European  countries  and,  to  a lesser  extent, 
Morocco  (at  least  two  have  been  shot  since  1994: 
Hughes  2003),  as  part  of  efforts  to  conserve 
White-headed  Duck  Oxyura  leucocephala.  An 
Action  Plan  (2003-05)  to  control  Ruddy  Ducks 
in  Morocco  was  developed  at  a workshop  in  Rabat 
in  October  2003.  The  only  wetland  where  the 
species  is  still  regularly  seen  is  Douyiet  in  Sal's,  but 
records  there  are  not  required  by  MRBC;  maxi- 
mum counts  were  of  three  in  200 1 (pair  and  adult 
male,  6 April),  two  in  2002  (adult  male  and 
female,  8 March),  two  in  2003  (adult  male,  18 
November),  with  just  one  sighting  in  2004  (an 
adult  male,  24  February  2004)  (Bergier  et  al. 
2003b,  Franchimont  et  al.  2004). 

Lammergeier  Gypaetus  barbatus  RB  (-/-,  0/0,  1/1) 
2001  (01/45)  Western  High  Atlas,  Oukai'meden,  adult, 

8 October  (A.  Godino  Ruiz  & I.  Molina  Prescott) 
This  vulture  has  undergone  a dramatic  decline  in 
Morocco  since  the  1980s,  with  only  20  records 
during  the  1990s  (15  in  the  High  Atlas  and  five  in 
the  Anti-Atlas:  Thevenot  et  al.  2003). 

Pallid  Harrier  Circus  macrourus  AV  (24/30+,  1/1, 

1/1) 

2000  (00/30)  Lower  Draa,  28  km  south  of  Goulimine, 

adult  male,  8 March  (H.  & O.  Karhu) 

This  observation,  the  second  in  Lower  Draa, 
accords  with  previous  records  in  Morocco,  i.e. 
between  late  September  to  mid  May,  with  a peak 
in  spring,  in  March-April. 

Dark  Chanting  Goshawk  Melierax  metabates  RB 

1/1,  1/1) 

2000  (00/28)  Souss,  Taroudant,  adult,  15  April  (G.  E. 

Dobbs) 


Only  one  record  previously  accepted  by  MRBC 
(April  1999:  Bergier  et  al.  2002a).  Both  are  from 
Argan  forest  in  the  Souss  Valley,  which  is  the  core 
of  the  species’  range  in  Morocco,  where  it  appears 
on  the  verge  of  extinction. 

Tawny  Eagle  Aquila  rapax  RB  (-/-,  3/3,  4/5) 

1991  (91/01)  Western  High  Atlas,  Argana,  adult,  3 

October  (D.  Jerez  Abad  & R.  Ramirez  Espinar) 

1 996  (96/44)  Tafilalt,  Oued  Bou  Kechba,  East  of  Oum 

Jerane,  immature,  22  February  (P.  Yesou  & M. 
South) 

2001  (01/39)  Souss,  20  km  east  of  Taroudant,  12 

October  (M.  Gaillard  & P.  Malenfert) 

2001  (01/40)  Souss,  25  km  east  of  Taroudant,  two,  13 
October  (M.  Gaillard  & P.  Malenfert) 

The  Souss  and  adjacent  foothills  of  Western  High 
Atlas  and  Anti-Atlas  lie  at  the  heart  of  this  eagle’s 
breeding  range  in  Morocco,  where  only  a few  are 
recorded  annually.  In  Tafilalt,  there  are  only  19 
previous  records:  in  February  (two),  March 
(three),  April  (eight),  May  (Five)  and  September 
(one),  and  the  species’  status  is  poorly  understood 
(Thevenot  et  al.  2003). 

Red-footed  Falcon  Falco  vespertinus  AV  (18A.29, 
0/0,  3/4) 

2000  (00/25)  Western  Middle  Atlas,  Dayet  Aoua,  male 
and  female,  22  April  (R.  Sane) 

2002  (02/25)  Western  Middle  Atlas,  near  Col  du  Zad, 
first-summer  female,  9 April  (V.  Schollaert  et  al) 

2002  (02/32)  Souss,  between  Taroudant  and  Agadir, 

adult  female,  1 April  (R.  Cruse  et  al) 

The  19th— 21st  records.  Seventeen  are  in  spring 
(25  March- 10  June)  and  four  in  autumn  (22 
August-24  September),  and  they  come  from  the 
following  regions  (north-west  to  south-east): 
Tangier  Peninsula,  High  and  Eastern  Rif  (four); 
Rharb,  Sa'is  and  Zaer  (three);  Western  Middle 
Atlas  (two);  High  Moulouya  (one);  Haouz  (one); 
Western  and  Eastern  High  Atlas  (two);  Souss 
(four); . Central  Anti-Atlas  (one);  Tafilalt  (two); 
and  Dades-Draa  (one).  Another  spring  record  has 
never  been  submitted  to  MRBC  (a  male  at 
Errachidia,  24  April  2000:  Bull.  ABC  8:  64-65). 

Barbary  Falcon  Falco  pelegrinoides  RB  poorly 
known  (-/-,  27/32,  17/19) 

2001  (01/07)  Tafilalt,  Aoufouss,  photo,  17  March  (G. 
Willem  & V.  Schollaert) 

2001  (01/09)  Eastern  High  Atlas,  Rich,  pair,  17  March 

(G.  Willem  & V.  Schollaert) 

2001  (01/20)  Saquiat  Al-Hamra,  Lemseyed  near 

Layoun,  pair,  26  April  (J.  Franchimont  et  al) 


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2001  (01/21)  Saquiat  Al-Hamra,  Boujdour,  26  April 

(A.  El  Ghazi  & J.  Franchimont) 

2001  (01/42)  Haha,  Cap  Rhir,  photo,  first-summer,  3 

May  (T.  Clarke  & P.  Morris  / Birdquest) 

2001  (01/52)  Haha,  Cap  Rhir,  photo,  adult,  3 May  (T. 
Clarke  & P.  Morris  / Birdquest) 

2002  (02/04)  Tafilalt,  oasis  5 km  north  of  Merzouga,  8 
January  (A.  B.  Kristensen  et  al) 

2002  (02/ 12a)  Dades-Draa,  Tamafout,  5-6  March  (P. 

Yesou  & M.  South) 

2002  (02/ 12b)  Dades-Draa,  Hdida,  6 March  (P.  Yesou 

& M.  South) 

2002  (02/14)  Sarhro,  Tazzarine,  28  March  (P.  Bergier  & 

A.  El  Ghazi) 

2002  (02/16)  Dades-Draa,  between  Zagora  and  Agdz, 

30  March  (Y.  Creau) 

2002  (02/26)  Eastern  High  Atlas,  Barrage  Hassan 
Addakhil,  10  April  (V.  Schollaert  et  al) 

2003  (03/04a)  Eastern  Anti-Atlas,  Tiouine,  adult,  22 
February  (P.  Lansdown  et  al) 

2003  (03/04b)  Souss,  Massa,  adult,  24  February  (P. 

Lansdown  et  al) 

2003  (03/11)  Sarhro,  Tazzarine,  adult,  5 April  (V. 

Schollaert  et  al) 

2003  (03/12)  Sarhro,  Tagdilt,  adult,  7 April  (V. 

Schollaert  et  al) 

2003  (03/23)  Haha,  Tamri,  photos,  6 April  (A. 

Blomdahl  et  al) 

All  records  are  from  regions  where  the  species’ 
presence  is  well  documented,  except  those  in 
Saquiat  Al-Hamra  (Western  Sahara),  where  its  sta- 
tus is  still  inadequately  known.  The  observation  by 
Blomdahl  et  al.  on  coastal  cliffs  just  north  of  Tamri 
(03/23)  probably  involved  a mixed  pair,  Barbary 
Falcon  and  Peregrine  F.  peregrinus  brookei. 

Spotted  Crake  Porzana  porzana  PM,  OW  (-/-, 
2/8+,  3/3) 

2001  (01/02)  Dades-Draa,  Ouarzazate,  23  February  (P. 
Lansdown  et  al) 

2002  (02/19)  Souss,  Massa  estuary,  5 April  (B.  & D. 
Swann) 

2003  (03/07)  Doukkala,  Oualidia,  adult,  12-13  April 
(J.  Franchimont  & F.  Touati  Malih) 

The  200 1 record  is  slightly  early,  but  the  others  are 
well  within  the  spring  migration  pattern  of 
Spotted  Crake  in  Morocco. 

American  Golden  Plover  Pluvialis  dominica  AV 

(0/0,  2/2,  1/1) 

2001  (00/24)  Souss,  Souss  estuary,  breeding-plumage 

adult,  1 1 June  (C.  Bowden  & H.  Culmsee) 
Third  record.  All  were  in  spring  at  the  Souss  estu- 
ary; the  two  previous  on  24-25  April  1997  (H. 
Dufourny,  M.  & P.  Ridenour:  Bergier  et  al.  2000), 


Figure  4.  Accepted  records  of  Broad-billed  Sandpiper 
Limicola  falcinellus  (n=  1 2)  in  Morocco,  by  month. 

Repartition  mensuelle  des  mentions  acceptees  du 
Becasseau  falcinelle  Limicola  falcinellus  (n=12)  au  Maroc. 

and  16-17  May  1999  (C.  Bowden  & B.  Dawson: 
Bergier  et  al.  2002a). 

Broad-billed  Sandpiper  Limicola  falcinellus  AV 

(8/12,  3/6,  1/1) 

2001  (01/54)  Souss,  Souss  estuary,  juvenile,  2 October 

(M.  Gaillard  & P.  Malenfert) 

Twelfth  record  in  Morocco,  the  fourth  in  autumn 
and  seventh  at  the  Souss  estuary.  Previous  records 
were  mainly  in  spring  (April-May:  six)  with  three 
in  autumn  (July,  August  and  September)  and  two 
in  winter  (January)  (Fig.  4);  mainly  near  the 
Atlantic  coast  in  Souss  (seven),  Tarfaya  (one)  and 
Chaouia  (one),  but  also  twice  inland,  in  Haouz 
and  Dades-Draa. 

Lesser  Yellowlegs  Tringa  flavipes  AV  (4/5,  1/1,  1/1) 

2001  (01/13)  Doukkala,  Oualidia,  12  April  (V. 

Schollaert,  L.  & H.  Jottrand) 


Figure  5.  Accepted  records  of  Lesser  Yellowlegs  Tringa 
flavipes  (n=6)  in  Morocco,  by  month. 

Repartition  mensuelle  des  mentions  acceptees  du  Petit 
Chevalier  Tringa  flavipes  (n=6)  au  Maroc. 


Rare  birds  in  Morocco:  Bergier  et  al. 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  - 1 13 


Sixth  record  in  Morocco,  the  second  in  April  (Fig. 
5)  and  the  third  at  Oualidia. 

Long-billed  (?)  Dowitcher  Limnodromus  sp.  cf. 
scolopaceus  AV  (3/4,  1/1,  1/1) 

2002  (02/36)  Souss,  Souss  estuary,  22  November  (A. 

Smith  et  al) 

Fourth  record  of  a dowitcher  at  the  Souss  estuary. 
Probably  a Long-billed,  but  Short-billed 
Dowitcher  L.  griseus  could  not  be  completely 
eliminated. 

Baltic  Lesser  Black-backed  Gull  Larus  fuscus  fuscus 
AV  (0/0,  0/0,  2/1) 

2001  (01/26)  Souss,  Souss  estuary,  adult,  19  March  (H. 

Haass  et  al) 

2001  (01/14)  Souss,  Souss  estuary,  adult,  8 April  (V. 
Schollaert,  L.  & H.  Jottrand) 

First  documented  record  in  Morocco.  This  bird 
stayed  at  least  three  weeks  at  the  Souss  estuary. 
Accidental  in  Morocco,  but  two  other  subspecies 
are  abundant  (L.  f.  graellsii)  to  scarce  {L.  f.  inter- 
medius)  passage  migrants  and  winter  visitors 
(Thevenot  et  al.  2003). 

Great  Black-backed  Gull  Larus  marinus  WV  (-/-, 
3/4,  1/1) 

2002  (02/03)  Souss,  Agadir  harbour,  first-winter,  16 
January  (A.  Hagerman  et  al) 

Rare  winter  visitor  to  Morocco,  this  is  only  the 
fourth  record  since  the  MRBC  was  created. 

Iceland  Gull  Larus  glaucoides  AV  (3/3,  0/0,  1/1) 

2003  (03/14)  Souss,  Souss  estuary,  subadult,  8 
April-early  May  (V.  Schollaert  et  al.,  C.  Roller) 

The  fourth  and  southernmost  record  in  Morocco; 
previous  records  involved  a second-winter  at  the 
Bou-Regreg  estuary  on  28  December  1979 
(Beaubrun  1980),  a first- winter  at  the  Loukkos 
estuary  on  4 October  1980  (Beaubrun  1980)  and 
another  first-winter  at  Ceuta  on  16  January  1987 
(A.  Cambelo:  Thevenot  et  al.  2003). 

Ring-billed  Gull  Larus  delawarensis  AV  (22/22, 
11/13,  1/1) 

2003  (03/15)  Rharb,  Sebou  estuary,  first-summer,  15 

April  (V.  Schollaert  et  al.) 

The  first  record  since  2000  (Bergier  et  al.  2002a). 
The  species  was  previously  seen  at  least  once  per 
annum  in  1992-99  with  maxima  of  five  records  in 
1992  and  1993  (Bergier  et  al.  2002a,  Thevenot  et 
al.  2003). 


Figure  6.  Accepted  records  of  Ring-billed  Gull  Larus 
delawarensis  (n=34)  in  Morocco,  by  month.  For  records 
spanning  more  than  one  month,  only  the  first  date  is 
considered. 

Repartition  mensuelle  des  mentions  acceptees  du 
Goeland  a bee  cercle  Larus  delawarensis  (n=  34)  au 
Maroc.  Pour  les  mentions  couvrant  plus  d’un  mois, 
seulement  la  premiere  date  est  prise  en  compte. 

Roseate  Tern  Sterna  dougallii  PM  (-/-,  2/4,  1/1) 

2002  (02/06)  Haha,  Tinkert  estuary,  adult,  photo,  16 
January  (A.  B.  Kristensen  et  ale.  Fig  18) 

Only  the  secord  winter  record  for  Morocco;  the 
previous  one  was  at  Sebkha  Bou-Areg  on  11 
January  1980  (Thevenot  et  al.  1981).  Roseate  Tern 
is  more  usually  sighted  off  the  Atlantic  coast,  in 
April-early  July  and  August-October,  but  is  rarely 
seen  from  shore  (Thevenot  et  al.  2003). 

Arctic  Tern  Sterna  paradisaea  PM,  OW  (-/-,  1/1, 
1/1) 

2003  (03/19)  Souss,  Souss  estuary,  15  April  (A. 
Blomdahl  et  al) 

Second  record,  at  the  same  place  and  almost  on 
the  same  date  as  one  in  1999  (Bergier  et  al. 
2002a). 

Little  Auk  Alle  alle  AV  (0/0,  0/0,  1/1) 

2002  (02/35)  Rharb,  Moulay  Bousselham,  moribund, 

1 8 November  (A.  Smith  et  al) 

First  substantiated  record  in  Morocco.  Urban  et  al. 
(1986)  considered  the  species  to  be  a rare  visitor  to 
Morocco  and  Finlayson  (1992)  as  a scarce  vagrant 
in  the  Strait  of  Gibraltar,  but  no  details  were  pre- 
sented to  support  either  statement.  No  other  fully 
documented  records  for  Africa  are  available, 
except  those  mentioned  by  Martin  & Lorenzo 
(2001)  for  the  Canaries. 


1 14  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Rare  birds  in  Morocco:  Bergier  et  al. 


Common  Guillemot  Uria  aalge  AV  (c.lO/c.10, 

0/0,  1/1) 

2002  (02/24)  Haha,  Cape  Rhir,  28  February  (M. 
Deutsch  & F.  Bindrich) 

Accidental  in  winter.  A few  records  are  mentioned 
for  the  Strait  of  Gibraltar  (Irby  1895,  Finlayson 
1992),  but  none  on  the  Mediterranean  coast  of 
Morocco.  Four  previous  records  of  singles  on  the 
Atlantic  coast:  Casablanca  in  January  1967 
(Granier  1970),  near  Cap  Rhir  on  23  December 
1983  and  6 December  1985  (Thevenot  et  al. 
2003),  and  at  the  Sebou  estuary  on  20  November 
1990  (Pouteau  1991).  Morocco  is  south  of  the 
species’  usual  winter  range,  although  it  occasional- 
ly reaches  Cap  Blanc  in  northern  Mauritania 
(Lamarche  1988). 

Lichtensteins  Sandgrouse  Pterocles  lichtensteinii 
RB  (-/-,  0/0,  1/c.lO) 

2003  (03/08)  Middle  Draa,  Tissint,  c.10,  9 April  (J. 
Franchimont  & F.  Touati  Malih) 

Some  10  km  south  of  Tissint,  the  Oued  El  Malleh 
(or  Oued  Tissint)  appears  to  be  a good  spot  for 
this  species — a previous  record  (02/01)  submitted 
to  MRBC  was  not  accepted  due  to  the  lack  of  a 
sufficiently  detailed  description. 

Short-eared  Owl  Asio  flammeusWV,  PM  (-/-,  1/1, 
4/6) 

2000  (00/23)  Rharb,  Moulay  Bousselham,  28 
December  (H.  Dufourny  et  al) 

2001  (01/22)  Lower  Draa,  Goulimine,  two,  18  March 
(N.  Haass  et  al) 

2001  (01/23)  Dades-Draa,  Boumalne  Dades,  15  March 

(N.  Haass  et  al) 

2001  (01/53)  Tarfaya,  Khnifiss  lagoon,  two,  18 

December  (A.  El  Ghazi  et  al) 

A rare  winter  visitor  and  passage  migrant:  most 
records  are  during  migration  periods  (late 
September-November  and  March-mid  April)  and 
from  the  Atlantic  coast.  Only  three  previous  sight- 
ings on  the  Mediterranean  coast  (Moulouya  estu- 
ary), and  only  four  inland  (Fiaouz,  Dades-Draa, 
Tafilalt  and  Saharan  Atlas):  that  on  15  March 
2001  at  Boumalne  Dades  is  therefore  remarkable. 
Records  00/23  and  01/53  are  the  19th  and  20th 
winter  records  (ten  in  December-January),  and 
01/53  is  the  third  at  Khnifiss  lagoon. 

Chimney  (?)  Swift  Chaetura  sp.  cf.  pelagica  AV 

(0/0,  0/0,  1/1) 

2001  (01/33)  Souss,  Massa  estuary,  21  September  (A. 

van  den  Berg  et  al) 


First  record  of  this  New  World  genus  in  Morocco. 
Submitted  as  C.  pelagica  but  other  Chaetura 
species  could  not  be  wholly  eliminated,  meaning 
that  the  record  was  accepted  as  Chaetura  sp.  cf. 
pelagica.  Presumably  part  of  the  large  arrival  of 
Chimney  Swifts  in  Western  Europe  in  autumn 
1999:  the  14  records  (. Birding  World  14:  506) 
included  the  first  two  in  Spain  (de  Juana  2002). 
There  is  also  a record  in  2001  from  the  Canaries 
(Lanzarote,  2 January:  Birding  World  15:  25),  the 
second  for  the  archipelago  (the  first  was  on 
Tenerife  in  1997:  Martin  & Lorenzo  2001). 

Plain  (?)  Swift  Apus  sp.  cf.  unicolor  AV,  OB?,  WV? 
(-/-,  1/6,  2lc.23) 

2002  (02/33)  Saquiat  Al  Hamra,  Barrage  of  Layoune, 

r.20,  23  October  (P.  Bergier  & J.  P.  Reitz) 

2002  (02/34)  Oued  Ad-Deheb,  117  km  south  of 
Boujdour,  three,  28  October  (P.  Bergier  & J.  P. 
Reitz) 

Definite  proof  of  the  species’  presence  in  Morocco 
is  still  lacking,  even  if  it  is  very  probable  that  the 
small  black  swifts  recorded  on  the  southern 
Atlantic  coast  are  of  this  species.  These  October 
records  fit  the  departure  pattern  of  Plain  Swifts 
from  the  Canaries  (Martin  & Lorenzo  2001). 
Vernon  (2002)  summarised  records  of  these  swifts 
in  Morocco. 

White-rumped  Swift  Apus  caffer  MB,  PM  (-/-, 
2/4,  1/6+) 

2003  (03/24)  Eastern  Middle  Atlas,  Ras  el  Oued,  Taza, 
6+,  19  June  (J.  Franchimont  & F.  Touati  Malih), 
still  present  13  July  (A.  El  Ghazi) 

This  record  was  far  north  of  the  only  current 
breeding  area  in  Morocco,  around  Imlil  in  the 
Western  High  Atlas,  south  of  Marrakech.  White- 
rumped  Swift  had  been  observed  once  previously 
in  the  same  region  (Jbel  Tazekka,  spring  1974: 
Thevenot  et  al.  2003)  and  breeding  seems  likely. 
Jbel  Tazekka  lies  between  the  species’  only  two 
known  breeding  areas  in  the  Western  Palearctic, 
i.e.  southern  Andalucia  north  of  the  Strait  (c.250 
km  to  the  north-west)  and  Western  High  Atlas 
(c.500  km  south-west). 

Rock  Martin  Hirundo  fuligula  RB  (-/-,  4/71+,  1/2) 
2001  (02/13)  Sarhro,  Tiguerma,  two,  29  March  (P. 

Bergier  & A.  El  Ghazi) 

Only  separated  with  difficulty  from  the  local  breeding 
race  of  Crag  Martin  H.  rupestris  rupestris  (or  H.  r. 
theresae , as  sometimes  separated).  Their  breeding 
ranges  may  overlap  but  their  respective  distributions 


Rare  birds  in  Morocco:  Bergier  et  al. 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  - 1 15 


are  poorly  known.  A summary  of  those  characters 
useful  in  their  separation  is  at  www.ifrance.com/go- 
south/pictures/Hirundo_rupestris_obsoleta.pdf. 

Richard’s  Pipit  Anthus  novaeseelandiae  WV 
3/17,  3/4) 

2001  (01/01)  Souss,  Massa,  two,  photos,  1 January  (H. 

Dufourny  et  al.\  Fig.  19) 

2001  (01/03)  Souss,  Massa,  25  February  (P.  Lansdown 
et  al) 

2002  (02/07)  Tafilalt,  Merzouga,  first-winter,  8 January 
(A.  Hagerman  et  al) 

First  records  since  1996.  Five  of  the  six  observa- 
tions accepted  by  MRBC  are  from  cultivation  near 
the  Massa  estuary,  where  the  species  is  probably  a 
rare  but  regular  winter  visitor.  Most  previous 
records  are  from  coastal  wetlands,  the  majority 
along  the  Atlantic  coast,  from  Rharb  in  the  north 
to  the  Mauritanian  border,  with  a few  along  the 
Mediterranean  coast  in  eastern  Morocco.  Only 
three  records  inland  (Sal's,  Zaer  and  Souss)  and 
02/07  is  the  first  for  Tafilalt. 

Dunnock  Prunella  modularis^PN  (-/-,  1/1,  1/2) 

2000  (00/20)  Central  High  Atlas,  Tamtatoucht,  two, 
17  December  (D.  Jerez  Abad  & R.  Ramirez 
Espinar) 

Dunnock  is  now  considered  a very  rare  but  prob- 
ably regular  winter  visitor  to  the  north  of  the 
country,  but  this  is  the  first  record  in  the  High 
Atlas. 

Isabelline  Wheatear  Oenanthe  isabellina  PM  (-/-, 
21/22+,  15/19) 

2001  (01/04)  Dades-Draa,  Ouarzazate,  23  February  (P. 
Lansdown  et  al) 

2001  (01/10)  Dades-Draa,  Ouarzazate,  13  March  (V. 

Schollaert  & G.  Willem) 

2001  (01/11)  Sarhro,  Alnif,  three,  15  March  (V. 

Schollaert  & G.  Willem) 

2001  (01/12)  Tafilalt,  Merzouga,  16  March  (V. 

Schollaert  & G.  Willem) 

2001  (01/15)  Eastern  High  Atlas,  Rich,  two,  17  March 

(V.  Schollaert  & G.  Willem) 

2001  (01/16)  Eastern  High  Atlas,  Barrage  Hassan 

Addakhil,  photo,  16  March  (V.  Schollaert  & G. 
Willem;  Fig.  20) 

2001  (01/18)  Tafilalt,  Erfoud,  16  March  (G.  Willem) 

2002  (02/10)  Souss,  Igoudar,  21  February  (F.  Bindrich) 

2002  (02/11)  Tafilalt,  Cafe  Yasmina,  Merzouga,  24 

February  (F.  Bindrich) 

2002  (02/22a)  Tafilalt,  Bou  Bernous,  28  March  (S. 

Carter  et  al) 

2002  (02/22b)  Eastern  Anti-Atlas,  Tazenakht,  2 April 

(S.  Carter  et  al) 


2002  (02/2 7)  Tafilalt,  Derkaoua,  Merzouga,  two,  11 

April  (V.  Schollaert  et  al) 

2002  (02/28)  Eastern  Anti-Atlas,  Tazenakht,  13  April 
(V.  Schollaert  et  al) 

2003  (03/03)  Dades-Draa,  Barrage  Mansour  Eddhabi, 
Ouarzazate,  22  February  (P.  Lansdown  et  al) 

2003  (03/13)  Tafilalt,  Erfoud,  5 April  (V.  Schollaert  et 

al) 

Most  records  in  2001  were  already  presented  by 
Schollaert  & Willem  (2001),  but  that  at  Barrage 
Hassan  Addakhil  had  previously  been  erroneously 
stated  to  have  been  on  17  March.  This  wheatear  is 
probably  a regular,  albeit  rare,  passage  migrant 
through  south-east  Morocco. 

Fieldfare  Turdus  pilaris  AV  / WV?  (15/20+,  3/4, 

1/D 

2003  (03/10)  Souss,  Oued  Souss,  Inezgane,  3 April  (K. 

Offord  et  al) 

A rare  and  irregular  winter  visitor  to  north-west 
Morocco,  but  only  accidental  south  of  the  High 
Atlas  (this  is  the  third  such  record,  the  two  previ- 
ous were  in  Souss  and  Lower  Draa:  Thevenot  et  al. 
2003).  Also  accidental  in  the  Canaries,  where 
there  are  only  four  recent  records  (Martin  & 
Lorenzo  2001). 

Aquatic  Warbler  Acrocephalus  paludicola  PM  (-/-, 

1/1,  1/1) 

2003  (03/06)  Plains  of  Eastern  Morocco,  Moulouya 

estuary,  17  April  (B.  Ma  re) 

In  the  1950s,  this  warbler  was  a common  and  regu- 
lar passage  migrant  in  spring  and  autumn  at  the 
Moulouya  estuary  (Brosset  1956).  The  above  record 
is  only  the  second  since  MRBC  was  created  in  1995, 
and  the  species  is  now  a real  rarity  in  Morocco. 

Iberian  Chiffchaff  Phylloscopus  ibericus  RB,  WV  ? 

(-/-,  0/0,  4/5) 

2001  (01 /34a)  Western  Middle  Atlas,  Ifrane,  two,  13 

September  (A.  van  den  Berg  et  al) 

2001  (01 /34b)  Western  Middle  Atlas,  Michliffen,  13 

September  (A.  van  den  Berg  et  al) 

2001  (01/37)  Dades-Draa,  Ouarzazate,  13  March  (V. 

Schollaert  & G.  Willem) 

2001  (01/49)  Souss,  Massa  estuary,  25  February  (P. 

Lansdown) 

Probably  a rare  breeder  (restricted  to  the  Tangier 
Peninsula)  and  passage  migrant,  but  status  poorly 
known  as  the  species  has  only  recently  attracted 
the  interest  of  birdwatchers,  and  incorporated  into 
the  MRBC  list  to  gain  fuller  knowledge  of  its  sta- 
tus and  temporal  pattern.  In  addition  to  the 


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Rare  birds  in  Morocco:  Bergier  et  al. 


records  above,  we  are  aware  of  several  other  sight- 
ings, suggesting  that  Iberian  Chiffchaff  is  probably 
not  uncommon  in  Moroc  o on  both  passages. 
Svensson  (2001)  recorded  it  in  Souss  (Massa,  two, 
7 April  2001),  in  Haouz  (Marrakech,  three,  27 
March  2001)  and  Tafilalt  (Erfoud,  single,  4 April 
2001),  and  V.  Schollaert  ( in  lift.)  in  Rharb:  Merja 
Bargha,  one,  16  September  1999;  Zaer:  Sidi 
Bettache,  two,  16  September  2001;  Doukkala: 
Oualidia,  one,  12  April  2001;  Sais:  Boufekrane, 
c.10,  19  September  1999;  Western  Middle  Atlas: 
between  Khenifra  et  Ifrane,  two,  14  September 
1999;  Aguelmane  Sidi  A1 , one,  17  September 
2001;  Eastern  Middle  Atlas:  Taza,  one,  1 March 
2001;  Eastern  High  Plateaux:  Ain  Beni-Mathar, 
two,  24  September  1999;  Western  High  Atlas: 
Oukaimeden,  one,  31  March  2001;  Dades-Draa: 
Ouarzazate,  one,  28  March  1999,  12,  14  March 
200 1 and  two,  2 April  200 1 . Appears  rare  in  win- 
ter: P.  Lansdown  paid  special  attention  to  chiff- 
chaffs  at  this  season  in  Morocco  and  could  only 
locate  one  ibericus,  at  Massa,  in  February  200 1 . 

Balearic  Woodchat  Shrike  Lanius  senator  badius 
PM  (-/-,  0/0,  1/3) 

2001  (01/35)  Souss,  Aoulouz,  two  adults  and  a juve- 
nile, 1 9 September  (A.  van  den  Berg  et  al .) 

This  subspecies  is  rarely  reported  and  MRBC  wel- 
comes claims.  The  first  autumn  record  for 
Morocco. 

House  Crow  Corvus  splendens  AV  (0/0,  0/0,  1/1) 

2002  (02/37)  Tangier  Peninsula,  Tangier  harbour, 
adult,  25  December  (J.  Franchimont) 

First  record  for  Morocco  and  the  Maghreb,  but 
House  Crow  has  already  been  seen  in  the 
Canaries — on  Fuerteventura  in  autumn  2000  (an 
escapee)  and  Gran  Canaria  on  31  December  2002. 
Well  known  for  its  ability  to  ‘hitch’  lifts  on  boats, 
that  the  first  record  of  House  Crow  in  Morocco 
was  in  a harbour  is  unsurprising. 

Records  not  accepted 

Black-browed  Albatross  Diomedea  melanophris  200 1 
(01/50)  Haha,  Cape  Rhir,  immature,  15  October. 
Fea’s  / Zino’s  Petrel  Pterodroma  feae  / P.  madeira  200 1 
' (01/43)  Haha,  Cape  Rhir,  2 October.  Cape  Verde 
: Shearwater  Calonectris  ( diomedea ) edwardsii  2001 
\ (01/2 4)  Souss,  Souss  estuary,  two,  19  March.  Manx 
Shearwater  Puffinus  puffinus  2003  (03/09)  Plains  of 
Eastern  Morocco,  Moulouya  estuary,  corpse,  18 
April.  Western  Reef  Heron  Egretta  gularis  2000 


(00/26)  Rharb,  Larache,  7 February.  2002  (02/18) 
Plains  of  Eastern  Morocco,  Barrage  Mechra  Homadi, 
5 May.  Great  White  Egret  Egretta  ( Ardea ) alba  2003 
(03/01)  Plains  of  Eastern  Morocco,  Barrage 
Mohamed  V,  two,  12  January.  African  Spoonbill 
Platalea  alba  2000  (00/29)  Oued  Ad-Dehab, 
Dakhla,  photos,  adult,  26  November.  American 
Wigeon  Anas  americana  2000  (00/21)  Souss, 
Barrage  Imi  el  Khneg,  28  November.  2001  (01/51) 
Rharb,  Sidi  Bou-Rhaba,  male,  9-11  December. 
Hybrid  Blue-winged  Teal  x Shoveler  Anas  discors  x 
Anas  clypeata  2003  (03/02)  Sais,  Douyiet,  male,  14 
February.  Pallid  Harrier  Circus  macrourus  2001 
(01/30)  Tangier  Peninsula,  Ksar  Sghir,  August.  Dark 
Chanting  Goshawk  Melierax  metabates  1999 
(99/47)  Souss,  25  km  west  of  Oulad  Berehil,  imma- 
ture, 30  September.  Tawny  Eagle  Aquila  rapax  2001 
(01/41)  Souss,  25  km  east  ofTaroudant,  14  October. 
2002  (02/23)  Rharb,  10  km  north  of  Moulay 
Bousselham,  immature/second-year,  28  February. 
Barbary  Falcon  Falco  pelegrinoides  2001  (01/08) 
Eastern  High  Atlas,  Barrage  Hassan  Addakhil,  17 
March.  2001  (01/19)  Dades-Draa,  Ouarzazate,  7 
April.  2001  (01/25)  Tafilalt,  Meski,  pair,  11  March. 
2002  (02/15)  Doukkala,  Cape  Beddouza,  23  March. 
2002  (02/17)  Western  High  Atlas,  Ilflilte  between 
Tizi-n-Ticka  and  Ouarzazate,  21  February.  2002 
(02/21)  Saharan  Atlas,  Figuig,  12  April.  Spotted 
Crake  Porzana  porzana  2002  (02/29)  Rharb,  Lower 
Loukkos  marshes,  Larache,  28  February.  Ross’s  Gull 
Rhodostethia  rosea  2001  (01/46)  Souss,  Souss  estuary, 
adult,  31  December.  Iceland  Gull  Larus  glaucoides 
2002  (02/02)  Rharb,  Sebou  estuary,  20  January. 
2002  (02/09)  Souss,  Agadir  harbour,  second-winter, 
21  January.  Lichtenstein’s  Sandgrouse  Pterocles  licht- 
ensteinii  2002  (02/01)  Middle  Draa,  Tissint,  12,  31 
December.  Short-eared  Owl  Asio  flammeus  2000 
(00/22)  Lower  Draa,  Goulimine,  29  November. 
Plain  Swift  Apus  unicolor  2002  (02/08)  Souss, 
Agadir,  16  January.  2002  (02/38)  Haha,  Cape  Rhir, 
several  dozen,  11  April.  Dunn’s  Lark  Eremalauda 
dunni  2001  (01/06)  Oued  Ad-Deheb,  Aoussard, 
two,  29  April.  Rock  Martin  Hirundo  fuligula  2001 
(01/27)  Tafilalt,  Erg  Chebbi,  12  March.  2001 
(01/28)  Tafilalt,  Taouz,  13  March.  2001  (01/29) 
Eastern  High  Atlas,  between  Midelt  and  Errachidia, 

11  March.  2002  (02/20)  Saharan  Atlas,  Figuig,  two, 
15  April.  2003  (03/22)  Central  High  Atlas,  Gorges 
du  Todra,  10  April.  Icterine  Warbler  Hippolais  icteri- 
na  2003  (03/21)  Tafilalt,  Skoura,  9 April;  Jorf,  10 
April;  Merzouga,  12  April;  Derkaoua-Erfoud,  two, 

12  April.  Red-backed  Shrike  Lanius  collurio  phoeni- 


Rare  birds  in  Morocco:  Bergier  et  al. 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  - 117 


curoides  2001  (01/31)  Tangier  Peninsula,  Ksar  Sghir, 

August. 

References 

Beaubrun,  P.  1980.  Premieres  observations  au  Maroc  du 
Goeland  leucoptere,  Larus  glaucoides.  Bull.  Inst.  Sci. 
Rabat  A:  193. 

Bergier,  R,  Franchimont,  J.,  Thevenot,  M.  & the 
MRBC  2000.  Rare  birds  in  Morocco:  report  of  the 
Moroccan  Rare  Birds  Committee  (1995-1997). 
Bull.  ABC  7:  18-28. 

Bernier,  P.,  Franchimont,  J.,  Thevenot,  M.  & the 
MRBC  2002a.  Rare  birds  in  Morocco:  report  of  the 
Moroccan  Rare  Birds  Committee  (1998-2000). 
Bull.  ABC  9:  122-132. 

Bergier,  P.,  Franchimont,  J.,  Thevenot,  M.  & the 
MRBC  2002b.  Les  oiseaux  rares  au  Maroc. 
Rapport  de  la  Commission  d’Homologation 
Marocaine,  numero  7.  Porphyrio  13-14:  1-9. 

Bergier,  P.,  Franchimont,  J.,  Thevenot,  M.  & the 
MRBC  2003a.  Les  oiseaux  rares  au  Maroc.  Rapport 
de  la  Commission  d’Homologation  Marocaine, 
numero  8.  Porphyrio  13-14:  10-19. 

Bergier,  P.,  Franchimont,  J.  & Thevenot,  M.  2003b. 
Evolution  recente  de  la  population  d’Erismature  a 
tete  blanche  Oxyura  leucocephala  au  Maroc.  Alauda 
71:339-346. 

Bergier,  P.,  Franchimont,  J.,  Thevenot,  M.  & the 
MRBC  2004.  Les  oiseaux  rares  au  Maroc.  Rapport 
de  la  Commission  d’Homologation  Marocaine, 
numero  9.  Go-South  Bull.  1:  13-17. 

Brosset,  A.  1956.  Les  oiseaux  du  Maroc  oriental  de  la 
Mediterranee  a Berguent.  Alauda  24:  161-205. 

Dejonghe,  J.  F.  1981.  Analyse  des  observations  d 'Anas 
discors , Anas  rubripes  et  Calidris  minutilla  dans 
l’Ancien  Monde.  Alauda  49:  250-271. 

Finlayson,  C.  1992.  Birds  of  the  Strait  of  Gibraltar. 
London,  UK:  T.  & A.  D.  Poyser. 

Franchimont,  J.,  Rour,  E.  H.  & Chahlaoui,  A.  2004. 
Remise  a jour  de  l’avifaune  du  Domaine  Royal  de 
Douyiet  (region  du  Safs,  Maroc  Central)  en  2004. 
Proc.  Colloque  Intern.  Meknes  sur  la  Gestion  et  la 
Preservation  des  Ressources  en  Eau.  Meknes. 

Granier,  J.  1 970.  Notes  sur  quelques  oiseaux  aquatiques 
au  Maroc.  Alauda  38:  160-161. 


Hughes,  B.  2003.  Ruddy  Duck  control  in  Europe  and 
North  Africa.  Bull.  Threatened  Waterfowl  Specialist 
Group  14:  70-72. 

Irby,  L.  H.  1895.  The  Ornithology  of  the  Straits  [sic.]  of 
Gibraltar.  London,  UK:  Taylor  & Francis. 
Isenmann,  P.  & Moali,  A.  2000.  Oiseaux  dAlgerie.  Paris: 
Societe  d’Etudes  Ornithologiques  de  France, 
de  Juana,  E.  2002.  Observaciones  de  aves  raras  en 
Espana,  ano  2000.  Ardeola  49:  141-171. 

Lamarche,  B.  1988.  Liste  commentee  des  oiseaux  de 
Mauritanie.  Etudes  Sahariennes  et  Ouest-Africaines 
1:  1-164. 

Martin,  A.  & Lorenzo,  J.  A.  2001.  Aves  del Archipielago 
Canario.  La  Laguna:  Ed.  F.  Lemus. 

Pouteau,  C.  1991.  Chronique  ornithologique  du 
G.O.M.A.C.  pour  1990.  Porphyrio  3:  49-110. 
Schollaert,  V.  & Willem,  G.  2001.  The  status  of 
Isabelline  Wheatear  Oenanthe  isabellina  in 
Morocco.  Bull.  ABCS:  136-137. 

Svensson,  L.  2001.  The  correct  name  of  the  Iberian 
Chiffchaff  Phylloscopus  ibericus  Ticehurst  1 937,  its 
identification  and  new  evidence  of  its  winter 
grounds.  Bull.  Br.  Ornithol.  Club  121:  281-296. 
Thevenot,  M.,  Bergier,  P.  & Beaubrun,  P.  1981. 
Compte-rendu  d’ornithologie  marocaine,  annee 
1980.  Doc.  Inst.  Sci.,  Rabat  6. 

Thevenot,  M.,  Vernon,  J.  D.  R.  & Bergier,  P.  2003.  The 
Birds  of  Morocco:  An  Annotated  Checklist.  BOU 
Checklist  20.  Tring:  British  Ornithologists’  Union 
& British  Ornithologists’  Club. 

Urban,  E.  K.,  Fry,  C.  H.  & Keith,  S.  (eds.)  1986.  The 
Birds  of  Africa.  Vol.  2.  London,  UK:  Academic 
Press. 

Vernon,  J.  D.  R.  1972.  Migrations  printanieres  au 
Maroc  Occidental.  Alauda  40:  307-320. 

Vernon,  J.  D.  R.  2002.  The  status  of  Plain  Swift  Apus 
unicolor  in  Morocco.  Bull.  ABC  9:  107-109. 

a4  Avenue  Folco  de  Baroncelli,  13210  Saint  Remy  de 
Provence,  France.  E-mail:  pbergier@yahoo.fr 
bQuartier  Abbas  Lemsaadi,  rue  no6,  no22, 
50.000  Meknes  V.N.,  Morocco.  E-mail:  j.franchimont@ 
iam.  net.  ma 

CEPHE,  Case  94,  Faculte  des  Sciences, 
34095  Montpellier  Cedex  5,  France.  E-mail: 
thevenot@univ-montp2.fr 


1 18  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Rare  birds  in  Morocco:  Bergier  et  al. 


Additions  to  the  avifauna  of  Mali 

Robert  J.  Dowsett  and  Frangoise  Dowsett-Lemaire 

Additions  a l'avifaune  du  Mali.  L'article  enumere  27  especes  nouvelles  pour  le  Mali  depuis 
Dowsett  (1993).  La  plupart  ont  ete  observees  par  les  auteurs  lors  de  deux  sejours  recents  de  plus 
de  deux  mois,  en  saison  seche  (2002)  et  au  debut  des  pluies  (2004).  L'article  inclut  egalement  les 
observations  nouvelles  provenant  d'autres  sources,  publiees  ou  non.  A part  quelques  especes 
palearctiques,  la  grande  majorite  des  especes  nouvelles  sont  des  oiseaux  sedentaires  de  divers 
milieux  (Sahel,  forets  seches,  collines  rocheuses),  surtout  des  regions  prospectees  par  les  auteurs 
dans  le  sud  et  centre  du  pays. 


In  recent  years  a number  of  species  have  been 
found  in  Mali  that  are  new  to  the  list  presented 
by  Dowsett  (1993).  In  addition  to  our  own  obser- 
vations, relating  to  visits  totalling  more  than  two 
months  in  both  dry  (2002)  and  early  wet  seasons 
(2004),  we  have  found  it  useful  to  detail  published 
and  unpublished  additions  from  other  sources. 
Coordinates  of  localities  in  Mali  are  presented  in  a 
Gazetteer  (see  Appendix).  The  abbreviation  NP  = 
National  Park. 

Great  Bittern  Botaurus  stellaris 
Two  in  Yanfolila  marsh  on  22  February  2002  and 
one  by  a grassy  pool  in  the  Niger  Delta  at 
Batamani  on  23-26  February  2002.  This 
Palearctic  migrant  has  also  been  reported  from  Lac 
Debo  and  elsewhere  in  the  Delta  (where  it  winters 
quite  commonly)  by  Dodman  et  al.  (1999)  and 
Wymenga  et  al.  (2002),  and  from  Korioume,  near 
Tombouctou  (one  seen  in  flight,  3 March  1999) 
by  C.  Carter  {in  litt .). 

Golden  Eagle  Aquila  chrysaetos 

Found  to  breed  on  Tirharhar  Mt,  Adrar  des  Iforas, 

by  Goar  & Rutkowski  (2000). 

Forbes’s  Plover  Charadrius  forbesi 
An  adult  on  a laterite  bowal  south  of  Sagabari,  on 
3 June  2004.  Key  differences  from  Three-banded 
Plover  C.  tricollaris  were  well  seen  (dark,  not 
white,  forehead;  absence  of  white  wingbar).  This 
habitat  is  favoured  for  breeding  in  Ghana  (pers. 
obs.).  Also  reported  from  the  Bagoe  bridge  area, 
where  three  were  noted  on  15  March  1999  (C. 
Carter  in  litt).  The  species  was  previously  known 
from  as  close  as  Parc  National  du  Niokolo  Koba 
(c,13°N  12°30’W)  in  south-east  Senegal,  where  it 
has  been  collected  (Morel  & Morel  1990). 


Bar-tailed  Godwit  Limosa  lapponica 
A group  of  20  midway  between  Gourma-Rharous 
and  Korioume  on  1 March  1999  were  compared 
briefly  with  a nearby  flock  of  Black-tailed  Godwits 
L.  limosa,  and  in  flight  the  distinctive  wing  and  tail 
pattern  was  well  seen  (C.  Carter  & M.  Cameron 
in  litt).  Wymenga  et  al.  (2002)  mention  two 
records  of  singles  in  the  Niger  Delta,  but  without 
details.  This  Palearctic  migrant  is  normally  coastal, 
occurring  only  rarely  inland. 

Adamawa  Turtle  Dove  Streptopelia  hypopyrrha 
Discreet  but  widespread  in  gallery  forest  in  the 
south-west.  Several  singing  and  displaying  at 
Tambale  and  Tombane  in  the  Monts  Mandingues 
on  5-8  February  2002.  One  heard  at  Soukoutali 
on  the  Bafing  and  another  at  the  Bafing/Bale  con- 
fluence, near  Bindougou  on  the  Guinea  border,  on 
1 1-15  February  2002.  One  heard  in  gallery  forest 
on  the  Baoule-sud,  near  Madina  Diassa,  on  24 
May  2004;  several  singing  and  displaying  at 
Sanfinian  on  2 June;  and  several  coming  to  drink 
at  pools  at  the  Baoule/Badinko  and  Baoule/ 
Bakoye  confluences,  on  4-6  June  2004.  The  song 
is  a distinctive  double  purr,  the  second  purr  being 
somewhat  disyllabic,  similar  to  that  of  European 
Turtle  Dove  S.  turtur,  but  much  lower  pitched. 
These  records  partially  fill  the  gap  in  the  known 
distribution  of  the  species,  between  Senegambia  in 
the  west  and  Togo  and  Nigeria  in  the  east  (Payne 
et  al.  2000,  Dowsett  & Dowsett-Lemaire  1993) 
(see  Fig.  1). 

Red-headed  Lovebird  Agapornis  pullarius 
One  in  a low  bush  on  a sandbar  in  the  middle  of 
the  Niger  River,  opposite  Kangaba,  on  22  June 
2004.  Dowsett  (1993)  had  rejected  a previous 
observation  incertaine’  from  Missira,  Boucle  du 
Baoule  (de  Bie  & Morgan  1989),  but  Spierenburg 


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Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  - 1 19 


(2000)  observed  small  groups  several  times  near 
Bougouni,  especially  during  the  rains.  The  same 
author  also  had  a record  from  Bamako,  which  he 
suggested  was  probably  an  escaped  cagebird,  but 
we  see  no  reason  to  suppose  that  the  Kangaba  and 
Bougouni  observations  were  not  of  wild  birds. 

Thick-billed  Cuckoo  Pachycoccyx  audeberti 
The  typical  whistled  song  of  this  cuckoo  (a  loud 
fuwee-puik , repeated  in  flight)  was  heard  in  wood- 
land at  Madina  Diassa,  on  23  May  2004  (where  it 
was  imitated  locally  by  the  resident  White- 
crowned  Robin  Chat  Cossypha  albicapilla) , and  on 
the  edge  of  gallery  forest  at  Farako,  on  28  May 
2004.  Its  putative  host,  White  Helmet-shrike 
Prionops  plumatus , is  quite  widespread  in  southern 
Mali.  These  records  represent  a range  extension 
from  Haut  Niger  NP  (c.  10°20’N  10°30’W)  in 
Guinea  (Nikolaus  2000),  Comoe  NP  (c.09°25’N 
03°30’W)  in  northern  Cote  d’Ivoire  (Thiollay 
1985)  and  the  Mole  River,  Mole  NP  (c.09°18’N 
01°47’W)  in  Ghana  (pers.  obs.  August  2004  and 
March  2005). 

Black-shouldered  Nightjar  Caprimulgus  [ pec - 
toralis ] nigriscapularis 

Singing  in  woodland  on  the  edge  of  riparian 
woodland  at  Tambale,  in  the  Monts  Mandingues, 
on  4 February  2002.  More  common  at  the  edge  of 
gallery  forest  near  Madina  Diassa,  where  several 
were  singing  at  dusk  on  20  February;  silent  in  May 
2004,  but  several  were  feeding  at  dusk  over  water 
and  around  gallery  forest  at  the  same  site. 
Probably  more  widespread,  but  needs  to  be 
searched  for  in  the  dry  season,  when  it  is  vocally 


active.  These,  and  recent  observations  from  north- 
ern Ghana  (pers.  obs.),  extend  the  known  range 
from  Haut  Niger  NP  in  Guinea  (Nikolaus  2000) 
and  Comoe  NP  in  Cote  d’Ivoire  (Demey  & 
Fishpool  1991). 

Mottled  Swift  Apus  aequatorialis 
One  seen  near  Madina  Diassa  on  23  May  2004 
(possibly  associated  with  a large  rocky  hill  east  of 
the  Baoule-sud,  not  visited).  Very  common  (often 
hundreds  together)  in  the  Sahel  from  Douentza 
north  and  east  to  Mare  de  Gossi,  on  14-19  June 
2004.  Groups  were  present  around  all  large  cliffs 
from  Douentza  to  Hombori,  but  were  also  feeding 
over  or  drinking  at  pools  away  from  cliffs.  The 
degree  of  vocal  activity,  and  pairs  chasing  each 
other,  was  indicative  of  breeding.  Seen  many  times 
at  close  range  when  coming  to  drink,  and  these 
birds  clearly  belong  to  a pale  race,  probably  loiuei. 
Further  details  on  plumage  and  voice  are  given 
elsewhere  (Dowsett  & Dowsett-Lemaire  in  press). 
First  reported  by  Spierenburg  (2000),  who  saw 
100  on  13  October  1989  at  Teli,  Bandiagara.  By 
contrast,  we  could  find  none  of  the  huge  numbers 
of  Alpine  Swifts  A.  melba  reported  as  probably 
breeding  in  the  area  by  Thiollay  (1974);  all  other 
reports  of  that  species  that  we  have  traced  from 
West  Africa  point  to  it  being  no  more  than  a non- 
breeding migrant  from  the  Palearctic  (Dowsett  & 
Dowsett-Lemaire  in  press). 

Narina’s  Trogon  Apaloderma  narina 
A male  at  the  Bafing/Bale  confluence  and  another 
on  the  Baoule-sud  near  Madina  Diassa,  in 
February  2002,  both  in  mixed-species  flocks.  In 


Figure  1.  Distribution  of  Adamawa  Turtle  Dove  Streptopelia  hypopyrrha 
Repartition  de  la  Tourterelle  de  l'Adamawa  Streptopelia  hypopyrrha 


120  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Additions  to  the  avifauna  of  Mali:  Dowsett  & Dowsett-Lemaire 


2004,  at  least  three  seen  (two  males,  one  female) 
and  two  males  heard  at  Sanfmian  on  2 June;  two 
singing  near  Madina  Diassa  on  23-24  May;  two 
heard  at  Farako  on  28  May;  and  one  male  seen 
and  heard  on  the  Baoule  west  of  Negala  on  8 June. 
Habitat  consisted  of  well-developed  evergreen 
gallery  forest  (Farako  to  Sanfmian),  or  partially 
deciduous  forest  (as  near  Negala,  where  Anogeissus 
was  the  main  large  tree).  The  only  previous  records 
north  of  1 0°N  west  of  Ghana  are  from  Guinea,  in 
Haut  Niger  NP,  c.10°20’N  (Nikolaus  2000)  and 
Chutes  de  la  Sala,  Labe,  at  11°19’N  12°31’W  (R. 
Demeypers.  comm.). 

Yellow-rumped  Tinkerbird  Pogoniulus  bilineatus 
One  singing  (the  short  series  of  4-6  pop  notes, 
with  a distinct  pause  between  phrases)  in  riparian 
forest  at  Woroni  Falls,  in  the  extreme  south,  on  27 
May  2004.  Known  north  to  Dinndefelou  in 
south-east  Senegal,  12°23’N  12°19’W  (specimens: 
Morel  & Morel  1990),  and  Haut  Niger  NP, 
c.10°20’N  (Nikolaus  2000)  and  Chutes  de  la  Sala, 
Labe,  11°19’N  12°31’W  (R.  Demeypers.  comm.) 
in  Guinea. 

African  Pitta  Pitta  angolensis 
Recorded  c.  5 km  from  Missira,  in  Boucle  du 
Baoule  NP,  where  Paul  Kiepe  (pers.  comm.)  had 
excellent  views  down  to  c.2  m of  this  unmistakable 
bird  in  November  1980.  Remarkable  as  this  record 
is — the  pitta  was  previously  quite  unrecorded  in 
West  Africa  north  of  07°30’N — , the  area  is  rich  in 
thickets,  which  could  be  suitable  for  breeding 
(pers.  obs.  2004). 

Simple  Greenbul  Chlorocichla  simplex 
One  singing  (the  typical  muffled  nasal  chattering) 
in  thicket  on  the  edge  of  the  Baoule-sud,  near 
Madina  Diassa,  at  the  northern  limit  of  the 
species’  range,  on  21  February  2002.  It  could  not 
be  found  again  an  hour  later,  when  playback  was 
used,  or  in  May  2004.  It  was  probably  a wanderer 
from  northern  Cote  d’Ivoire,  where  it  is  known 
from  Korhogo  (09°22’N  03°31’W),  and  Odienne, 
on  the  same  Baoule-sud  river,  at  09°36’N 
07°32’W  (Brunei  &Thiollay  1969). 

Sardinian  Warbler  Sylvia  melanocephala 
Small  numbers  in  sparse,  dense  bushes  within 
heavily  grazed  dunes  at  several  places,  on  28 
February  and  1 March  1999:  13  km  north  of 
Gossi,  in  the  Dedieten  area,  and  near  Gourma- 


Rharous  (C.  Carter  & M.  Cameron  in  litt.). 
Recorded  at  Tirharhar  Mt,  Adrar  des  Iforas,  in 
January-March,  by  Clouet  & Goar  (2003). 
Already  known  from  as  far  south  as  Ngourti  in 
Niger,  15°19’N  13°12’E  (Giraudoux  et  al.  1988). 

Spectacled  Warbler  Sylvia  conspicillata 
A female  seen  at  close  range  (the  thin  white  eye- 
ring, pale  chin  and  small  size  were  noted,  among 
other  details)  near  Batamani,  in  ‘brousse  tigree’ 
(low  bush  with  Acacia,  Balanites,  Diospyros  mespili- 
formis,  Guicra,  Piliostigma  rcticulatum  etc.)  on  1 
March  2002.  Recorded  only  north  of  c.17°N  in 
Niger  (Newby  et  al.  1987,  Giraudoux  et  al.  1988), 
but  in  some  years  not  uncommon  south  of  16°N 
in  Senegal  (Rodwell  et  al.  1996). 

Dorst  s Cisticola  Cisticola  dorsti 
Several  in  open  Sudanian  woodland  in  the  south- 
west in  February  2002:  at  Monts  Mandingues 
(Tambale,  Tombane),  Baoule-sud  and  near  the 
Bafing  River  at  Bindougou  and  Soukoutali  (one 
mist-netted).  Not  singing  in  February  (when  one, 
however,  was  prompted  into  giving  a typical  trill 
by  using  playback),  but  one  was  singing  sponta- 
neously on  25  May  near  Kalana.  It  is  this  species, 
and  not  the  Sahelian  Red-pate  Cisticola  C.  rufi- 
ceps,  that  occurs  in  Mali;  this  is  discussed  in  detail 
elsewhere  (Dowsett-Lemaire  et  al.  in  press). 

River  Prinia  Prinia  fluviatilis 
Previously  mentioned  as  possible’  for  the  Ag  Oua- 
Ag  Arbech  Important  Bird  Area  (Robertson  2001) 
based  on  a sighting  at  Gao  by  P.  Robertson  (in 
litt).  We  observed  one  calling  (the  dry  frrri  char- 
acteristic of  the  species)  on  the  southern  edge  of 
Gao,  on  17  June  2002,  in  Acacia  and  Hyphaene  on 
a beach  near  the  Niger  River.  Morphologically  and 
vocally  this  matched  our  experience  elsewhere,  the 
available  sound-recordings  (including  the  call- 
notes  FD-L  taped  at  Djoudj  NP  in  Senegal)  and 
literature.  (The  statement  in  the  summary  of 
Chappuis  et  al.  (1992)  that  the  species  had  been 
discovered  in  northern  Mali’  is  a slip  of  the  pen 
for  ‘Niger  (along  the  Niger  River  between  Tillaberi 
and  Gao)’  as  mentioned  in  the  body  of  the  paper, 
the  locality  where  Chappuis  (1974)  recorded  it.) 

Yellow-breasted  Apalis  Apalis  flavida 
Common  in  dense  evergreen  gallery  forest 
throughout  the  south-west,  at  over  12  localities 
from  the  Baoule-sud  (Madina  Diassa)  and  Sikasso 


Additions  to  the  avifauna  of  Mali:  Dowsett  & Dowsett-Lemaire 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  - 121 


16\\  14W  12W  10W  8W  m 4W  2W  0 2E  4E  61  BE  10E  12E  14E 


Figure  2.  Distribution  of  Yellow-breasted  Apalis  Apalis  flavida  in  western  Africa 
Repartition  de  1'  Apalis  a gorge  jaune  Apalis  flavida  en  Afrique  de  f Quest 


area,  north  to  the  Baoule  west  of  Negala  (see  Fig. 
2).  Not  found  further  north  at  Pont-Bani,  but 
there  is  suitable  habitat  there.  Small  numbers  also 
seen  and  trapped  on  the  Baoule-sud,  in  the 
Bougouni  area,  by  Salewski  (1998)  and 
Spierenburg  (2000). 

Spotted  Creeper  Salpornis  spilonotus 
One  in  a small  mixed-species  flock  in  woodland 
between  Nalla  and  Kalana,  on  25  May  2004  (with 
M.  Crickmore).  The  nearest  records  would  seem 
to  be  from  Tingrela  (10°29’N  06°24’W)  in  Cote 
d’Ivoire  (Thiollay  1985),  Haut  Niger  NP  in 
Guinea  (Nikolaus  2000),  and  a single  sighting 
from  Niokolo-Koba  NP  in  south-east  Senegal 
(Morel  & Morel  1990). 

Brown  Sunbird  Anthreptes  gabonicus 
Two  seen  well  on  the  edge  of  the  gallery  forest  on 
the  Baoule-sud,  near  Madina  Diassa,  on  21 
February  2002;  they  were  chasing  each  other.  Not 
seen  again  in  May  2004.  A Guineo-Congolian 
species  of  mangrove  and  riparian  forest,  occasion- 
ally recorded  along  rivers  inland,  thus  known 
north  in  Cote  d’Ivoire  to  Leraba  (10°08’N 
5°05’W),  also  in  February  (Walsh  1986),  and 
north  in  Guinea  to  Chutes  de  la  Sala  (11°17’N 
12°30’W)  in  March  2003  (an  adult  with  begging 
juvenile:  R.  Demey  in  litt.). 

Tropical  Boubou  Laniarius  aethiopicus 
Small  populations  (several  calling)  in  dense  gallery 
forest  near  Madina  Diassa  and  at  Farako,  in 
February  2002  and  May  2004.  Partial  to  liana  tan- 


gles. Clear  views  ruled  out  the  (unlikely)  possibil- 
ity of  Turati’s  Boubou  L.  turatii.  Not  reported 
from  extreme  north-west  Cote  d’Ivoire,  but 
known  in  Guinea  from  Haut  Niger  NP  (Nikolaus 
2000). 

Dybowski  s Twinspot  Euschistospiza  dybowskii 
One  coming  to  drink  with  Orange-cheeked 
Waxbills  Estrilda  melpoda  at  a pool  in  riparian 
woodland  at  Tambale,  Monts  Mandingues,  on  5 
February  2002.  Probably  occurs  in  other  parts  of 
the  extreme  south-west.  Not  reported  from 
extreme  northern  Cote  d’Ivoire,  but  known  from 
Haut  Niger  NP  (Nikolaus  2000)  and  Labe  (R. 
Demey  pers.  comm)  in  Guinea  to  south-east 
Senegal  (Morel  & Morel  1990). 

Black-bellied  Firefinch  Lagonosticta  rara 
Occurs  at  the  edge  of  gallery  forest  and  riparian 
thicket  at  a few  places  in  the  south-west:  a few 
individuals  (usually  in  pairs)  at  Tambale,  Monts 
Mandingues,  on  5-6  February  2002;  at 
Soukoutali  and  Bindougou  on  the  Bafing,  on 
11-15  February  2002;  at  Sanfinian,  on  2 June 
2004;  and  near  Madina  Diassa,  on  24  May  2004. 
Known  in  northern  Cote  d’Ivoire  as  close  as  Nielle 
(10°12’N  05°38’W:  Payne  1982)  and  in  south-east 
Senegal  in  Niokola-Koba  NP  and  elsewhere 
(Morel  & Morel  1990). 

Blue-billed  Firefinch  Lagonosticta  rubricata 
Seen  feeding  on  the  edge  of  gallery  forest  at 
Sanfinian  (with  other  firefinches  and  Red-winged 
Pytilias  Pytilia phoenicoptera ) and  in  thickets  under 


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Additions  to  the  avifauna  of  Mali:  Dowsett  & Dowsett-Lemaire 


Anogeissus  at  the  Baoule/Badinko  confluence. 
Perhaps  more  widespread.  Dowsett  (1993)  reject- 
ed earlier  sight  records.  Known  as  close  in  north- 
ern Cote  d’Ivoire  as  Korhogo  (Payne  1982). 

Quailfinch  Indigobird  Vidua  nigeriae 

Payne  (in  Fry  & Keith  2004)  reports  it  from  Kara, 
based  on  a specimen  collected  by  Duhart  & 
Descamps  (1963,  under  the  name  of  V chalybea- 
ta ),  and  examined  at  the  Museum  National 
d’Histoire  Naturelle,  Paris  (R.  B.  Payne  in  litt. 
2004).  In  Fry  & Keith  (2004)  V nigeriae  is  also 
recorded  from  the  ‘Bouche’  (i.e.  Boucle)  du 
Baoule;  the  origin  of  this  is  unknown,  and  it 
should  be  disregarded. 

Barka  Indigobird  Vidua  larvaticola 
Reported  from  the  Foret  de  Tienfala  (Payne  in  Fry 
& Keith  2004),  based  on  a singing  male  tape- 
recorded  by  R.  B.  Payne  {in  litt.  2004).  Records  in 
the  same  reference,  from  the  Boucle  du  Baoule 
and  Missira  are  apparently  based  on  the  sight 
record  of  c Vidua  camerunensis  of  de  Bie  & 
Morgan  (1989),  are  from  one  and  the  same  local- 
ity, and  are  indeterminate  as  to  species. 

Cameroon  Indigobird  Vidua  camerunensis 
Reported  from  Bougouni  (Payne  in  Fry  & Keith 
2004),  based  on  a singing  male  tape-recorded  by 
R.  B.  Payne  (in  litt.  2004)  on  the  Mono  River.  The 
records  in  the  same  reference  from  the  Boucle  du 
Baoule  and  Missira  are  based  on  the  same,  single 
sighting  of  ‘ Vidua  camerunensis  of  de  Bie  & 
Morgan  (1989)  as  that  attributed  to  V larvaticola , 
and  cannot  be  identified.  The  local  host  of  this 
species  is  unknown. 

Unconfirmed  and  rejected  species 

A few  additional  species  have  been  mentioned  in 
recent  literature.  Wymenga  etal.  (2002)  list  the  fol- 
lowing vagrants  from  the  central  Niger  Delta: 
Common  Shelduck  Tadorna  tadorna , Long-tailed 
Skua  Stercorarius  longicaudus,  Audouin’s  Gull  Larus 
audouinii  and  Little  Gull  L.  minutus.  Full  details 
have  yet  to  be  published,  blouse  Sparrow  Passer 
domesticus  is  said  by  Wilson  & McGregor  (2002) 
to  have  occurred  recently  in  ‘Mali  (J.  de  Groot 
pers.  comm.)’;  no  details  have  been  published  and 
we  have  been  unable  to  contact  the  observer. 

Three  published  errors  need  correcting.  The 
map  of  Yellowbill  Ceuthmochares  aereus  in  Borrow 
& Demey  (2004)  shows  a record  for  the  Bamako 


area  based  on  a single,  unpublished  sighting  of 
three  birds  on  a beach  on  the  edge  of  the  Niger  (V. 
Goudeseune  in  litt.).  This  record  is  inherently 
unlikely,  especially  in  view  of  the  lack  of  suitable 
forest  habitat  in  the  area  (pers.  obs.).  A recording 
from  near  Gao  presented  by  Chappuis  (2000)  as 
the  voice  of  Thick-billed  Weaver  Amblyospiza  alb- 
ifrons  is  in  fact  of  White-billed  Buffalo  Weaver 
Bubalornis  albirostris  (C.  Chappuis  in  litt.  agrees 
with  this  correction).  The  distribution  map  of 
Wilson’s  Indigobird  Vidua  wilsoni  in  Fry  & Keith 
(2004)  extends  its  range  into  Mali,  but  there  is  no 
mention  of  this  in  the  text,  nor  in  Payne  (1983). 

Acknowledgements 

Our  field  work  in  Mali  in  2004  was  funded  in  part 
by  grants  from  the  Fondation  pour  favoriser  les 
recherches  scientifiques  en  Afrique  (Belgium),  the 
African  Bird  Club  and  West  African  Ornithological 
Society,  for  which  we  are  grateful.  In  both  2002  and 
2004  we  received  assistance  from  Laurent  Granjon 
and  his  colleagues  of  Institut  pour  la  recherche  en 
developpement  (ex-ORSTOM)  in  Bamako.  Mary 
Crickmore  helped  in  various  ways  while  we  were  in 
Mali  in  2004.  We  thank  R.  B.  Payne  for  details  of 
some  Vidua  records,  Clide  Carter  for  communicat- 
ing the  observations  he  made  with  Margaret 
Cameron  in  1999  and  Ron  Demey  for  details  of  his 
records  from  Guinea. 

References 

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of  Western  Africa.  London,  UK:  Christopher  Helm. 
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des  oiseaux  de  Cote-d’Ivoire.  Alauda  37:  230-254, 
315-337. 

Chappuis,  C.  1974.  Illustration  sonore  de  problemes 
bioacoustiques  poses  par  les  oiseaux  de  la  zone 
ethiopienne.  Alauda  42:  467-500. 

Chappuis,  C.  2000.  Oiseaux  dAfrique,  2.  West  and 
Central  Africa.  11  CDs.  Paris:  Societe  d’Etudes 
Ornithologiques  de  France  & London,  UK:  British 
Library. 

Chappuis,  C.,  Erard,  C.  & Morel,  G.  J.  1992. 
Morphology,  habitat,  vocalisations  and  distribution 
of  the  River  Prinia  Prinia  fluviatilis  Chappuis.  Proc. 
PanAfr.  Orn.  Congr.  7:  481-488. 

Clouet,  M.  & Goar,  J.-L.  2003.  L’avifaune  de  TAdrar 
Tirharhar/Adrar  des  Iforas  (Mali).  Alauda  71: 
469-474. 

de  Bie,  S.  & Morgan,  N.  1989.  Les  oiseaux  de  la 
Reserve  de  la  Biosphere  “Boucle  du  Baoule”,  Mali. 
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Demey,  R.  & Fishpool,  L.  D.  C.  1991.  Additions  and 
annotations  to  the  avifauna  of  Cote  d’Ivoire. 
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Dodman,  T.,  Beibro,  H.  Y.,  Hubert,  E.  & Williams,  E. 
1999.  African  Waterbird  Census  1998.  Dakar: 
Wetlands  International. 

Dowsett,  R.  J.  1993.  Afrotropical  avifaunas:  annotated 
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Dowsett,  R.  J.  & Dowsett-Lemaire,  F.  1993.  Sur  la 
decouverte  de  Streptopelia  hypopyrrha  au  Senegal. 
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Dowsett,  R.  J.  & Dowsett-Lemaire,  F.  In  press.  On  the 
apparent  status  of  Mottled  Swift  Apus 
( Tachymarptis)  aequatorialis  and  Alpine  Swift  A.  ( T.) 
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Dowsett-Lemaire,  F.,  Borrow,  N.  & Dowsett,  R.  J.  In 
press.  Cisticola  dorsti  (Dorst’s  Cisticola)  and  C.  rufi- 
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Duhart,  F.  & Descamps,  M.  1963.  Notes  sur  l’avifaune 
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Fry,  C.  H.  & Keith,  S.  (eds.)  2004.  The  Birds  of  Africa. 
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Isenmann,  P.  1988.  Avifaune  du  Niger:  etat  des 
connaissances  en  1986.  Malimbus  10:  1-140. 

Goar,  J.-L.  & Rutkowski,  T.  2000.  Reproduction  de 
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327-328. 

Morel,  G.  J.  & Morel,  M.-Y.  1990.  Les  oiseaux  de 
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Payne,  R.  B.  1982.  Species  limits  in  the  indigobirds 
(Ploceidae,  Vidua)  of  West  Africa:  mouth  mimicry, 
song  mimicry,  and  a description  of  new  species. 
Misc.  Publ.  Mus.  Zool.,  Univ.  Michigan  162:  1-96. 

Payne,  R.  B.  1985.  The  species  of  parasitic  finches  in 
West  Africa.  Malimbus  7:  103-113. 

Payne,  R.  B.,  Barlow,  C.  R.  & Wacher,  T.  2000. 
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The  Gambia,  with  comparison  of  its  calls  in  The 
Gambia  and  Nigeria.  Malimbus  22:  37-40. 

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Evans,  M.  I.  (eds.)  Important  Bird  Areas  in  Africa 
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Braunlich,  A.  1996.  An  annotated  check-list  of 


birds  occurring  at  the  Parc  National  des  Oiseaux  du 
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74-111. 

Salewski,  V.  1998.  Yellow-breasted  Apalis  Apalis  flavida: 
a new  bird  for  Mali.  Bull.  ABC  5:  59. 

Spierenburg,  P.  2000.  Nouvelles  observations  de  six 
especes  d’oiseaux  au  Mali.  Malimbus  22:  23-28. 

Thiollay,  J.-M.  1974.  Nidification  du  Martinet  pale 
Apus  pallidus  et  du  Martinet  alpin  Apus  melba  en 
Afrique  occidentale.  Alauda  42:  223-225. 

Thiollay,  J.-M.  1985.  The  birds  of  Cote  d’Ivoire:  status 
and  distribution.  Malimbus  7:  1-59. 

Walsh,  J.  P.  1986.  Notes  on  the  birds  of  Ivory  Coast. 
Malimbus  8:  89-93. 

Wilson,  J.  M.  & McGregor,  R.  2002.  House  Sparrow 
Passer  domesticus  in  NE  Nigeria.  Malimbus  24: 
40-41. 

Wymenga,  E.,  Kone,  B.,  van  der  Kamp,  J.  & Zwarts,  L. 
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Wetlands  International. 

Le  Pouget,  30440  Sumene,  France.  E-mail: 

Dowsett@aol.  com. 

Appendix.  Gazetteer  of  localities  in  Mali 

Annexe.  Liste  des  localites  citees 


Bafing/Bale  confluence,  near  Bindougou 

Bagoe  bridge  area 

Bamako 

Baoule/Badinko  confluence 

Baoule/Bakoye  confluence 

Baoule  crossing  west  of  Negala 

Baoule-sud  (near  Madina  Diassa) 

Batamani 

Lac  Debo 

Dedieten 

Douentza 

Farako 

Gao 

Mare  de  Gossi 
Gourma-Rharous 
Kalana 
Kangaba  - 
Korioume 

Missira,  P.N.  de  la  Boucle  du  Baoule 

Mono  River,  Bougouni 

Nalla 

Pont-Bani 

Sagabari 

Sanfinian 

Soukoutali,  Bating  River 

Teli,  Bandiagara 

Foret  de  Tienfala 

Tirharhar  Mt,  Adrar  des  Iforas 

Tambale 

Tombane 

Woroni  falls 

Yanfolila  marsh 


12°14’N  10°20’W 
1 1 °28’N  06°35’W 
13°30’N  06°18’W 
13°42’N  09°35’W 
13°32’N  09°54’W 
12°56’N  08°38’W 
10°48’N  07°40’W 
14°53’N  04°02’W 
15°18’N  04°09’W 
16°18’N  0T14'W 
15°00’N  02°57’W 
11  °14’N  05°26’W 
16°16’N  00°03’W 
15°48’N  01°19’W 
15°52’N  0T56’W 
10°47’N  08°12'W 
1 1 °56’N  08°25’W 
16°40’N  03°02’W 
c.13°28’N  09°12’W 
c.11°25’N  07°29’W 
10°46'N  08°05’W 
13°13’N  05°54’W 
12°35’N  09°48’W 
12°31’N  09°56’W 
12°29’N  10°17’W 
c.14°21'N  03°37’W 
12°44’N  07°45’W 
19°33’N  01  °12’E 
12°33’N  08°53’W 
12°16’N  08°46’W 
10°47’N  05°34’W 
11°11’N  08°09’W 


1 24  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Additions  to  the  avifauna  of  Mali:  Dowsett  & Dowsett-Lemaire 


Notes  on  breeding  and  food  of  Yellow-billed  Kite 

Milvus  migrans  parasitus  in  Mali 

Rob  G.  Bijlsmaa,  Willem  van  Manen  ^ and  Jan  van  der  Kampc 


Notes  sur  la  nidification  et  la  nourriture  du  Milan  noir  Milvus  migrans  parasitus  au  Mali. 
Durant  des  missions  de  courte  duree  dans  le  Delta  interieur  du  Niger,  en  janvier-fevrier  2004 
et  2005,  tous  les  Milans  noirs  Milvus  migrans  observes  de  pres  appartenaient  a la  sous-espece 
afrotropicale  parasitus.  Leur  reproduction  ne  fut  observee  qu’aux  environs  proches  de  villages 
et  des  points  d’eau  permanents,  a condition  qu’il  y eut  des  arbres  disponibles  pour  leur  nidifi- 
cation. La  reproduction  etait  asynchrone,  montrant  plusieurs  stades  du  cycle  tels  que  lieux  de 
nidification  non-occupes,  rassemblements  d’oiseaux  non-nicheurs,  comportement  non-territo- 
rial pres  des  nids,  comportement  prenuptial,  vols  nuptiaux,  accouplements,  pontes  non  com- 
pletes et  completes,  et  oisillons  ages  d’une  a quatre  semaines.  Typiquement,  des  couples  non- 
nicheurs  et  des  sites  de  nidification  abandonnes  furent  notes  a plus  de  5 km  de  points  d’eau 
permanents;  il  se  pourrait  que  ces  sites  soient  occupes  dans  la  saison  pluvieuse  (pluies  princi- 
pales  en  juillet-aout).  La  saison  de  la  reproduction  dans  le  Delta  interieur  semble  coincider  avec 
la  decrue  du  fleuve  (novembre-mars) . Lors  d’une  faible  crue  (telle  que  celle  de  2004-05:  4,11 
m a Akka,  superficie  inondee  du  Delta  1 0 400  km2)  une  proportion  plus  grande  parait  renon- 
cer  a la  reproduction  que  lors  d'une  crue  plus  importante  (comme  en  2003-04:  4,96  m a Akka, 
14  700  km2  inondes).  Les  milans  nichant  dans  le  Delta  interieur  se  nourrissaient  principale- 
ment  d’amphibiens  et  de  poissons,  completes  par  des  oiseaux  et  des  petits  mammiferes.  La  plu- 
part  des  proies  etaient  des  charognes  et  des  dechets  humains.  L’espece  semblait  profiter  des 
ressources  alimentaires  abondamment  exploitables  dans  la  foret  inondable  de  Dentaka  ou 
notamment  la  mortalite  des  Cormorans  africains  Phalacrocorax  africanus  fut  tres  elevee  dans  la 
saison  2004-05.  En  janvier  2005  c’etait  la  seule  localite  ou  les  milans  etaient  en  pleine  repro- 
duction. 

Summary.  During  short  surveys  of  the  Inner  Niger  Delta,  Mali,  in  January-February  2004  and 
2005,  all  Black  Kites  Milvus  migrans  that  were  closely  observed  belonged  to  the  subspecies  par- 
asitus (Yellow-billed  Kite).  Breeding  was  largely  confined  to  around  villages  and  permanent 
water,  given  suitable  trees  for  nesting.  Breeding  was  asynchronous,  varying  from  still-deserted 
nest  sites  to  non-breeding  flocks,  non-territorial  behaviour  near  nests,  pre-incubation  behav- 
iour, display,  copulation,  incomplete  and  completed  clutches,  and  nestlings  of  seven  days  to 
four  weeks  old.  Non-breeding  pairs  and  deserted  nest  sites  were  typical  of  sites  >5  km  from  per- 
manent water.  Possibly,  such  nests  are  occupied  in  the  rainy  season  (core  period  July-August). 
Pairs  in  the  Inner  Delta  timed  their  breeding  cycle  with  the  receding  flood  of  the  Niger 
(November-March).  During  a low  flood  (as  in  2004/2005:  maximum  at  Akka  4.11  m,  i.e. 
10,400  km2  inundated),  apparently  a larger  proportion  of  pairs  refrain  from  breeding  in  win- 
ter than  during  a high  flood  (as  in  2003/2004:  4.96  m at  Akka,  14,700  km2  inundated).  Kites 
breeding  in  the  Inner  Niger  Delta  mainly  fed  on  amphibians  and  fish,  supplemented  with  birds 
and  mammals.  Most  food  was  scavenged,  with  a high  proportion  of  human  waste.  Local  food 
bonanzas  were  readily  exploited,  as  in  Dentaka  forest,  where  in  2005  many  kites  profited  from 
mass  mortality  of  Long-tailed  Cormorants  Phalacrocorax  africanus  and  herons;  only  at  this  site 
was  breeding  of  kites  in  full  swing  in  January  2005. 


In  The  Birds  of  Africa  (Brown  et  al.  1982),  Black 
Kite  Milvus  migrans , including  its  African  sub- 
species the  Yellow-billed  Kite  M.  m.  parasitus , is 
stated  to  be  very  well  known  in  Africa.  Much  of 


this  information,  however,  is  from  East  and  South 
Africa  (Curry-Lindahl  1981,  Brown  et  al.  1982). 
Data  from  West  Africa  are  rather  scarce.  For  exam- 
ple, Lamarche  (1980)  considered  parasitus  to  be 


Notes  on  breeding  and  food  of  Yellow-billed  Kite  in  Mali:  Bijlsma  et  al. 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  - 125 


SlSgfil 

Figure  1.  Distribution  and  status  of  nests  of  Yellow-billed  Kites  Milvus  migrans  parasiticus  checked  in  the  Inner  Delta  of 
the  Niger  River  in  Mali  (160  x 150  km,  shaded  = water),  in  January-February  2004  and  2005.  Open  circle  = occupied 
nest  without  eggs  or  nestlings,  filled  circle  = nest  with  egg(s),  triangle  = nest  with  chick(s). 

Distribution  et  statut  des  nids  de  Milans  noirs  Milvus  migrans  parasiticus  controles  dans  le  Delta  interieur  du  Niger  au 
Mali  (160  x 150  km,  hachure  = point  d'eau),  en  janvier-fevrier  2004  et  2005.  Cercle  ouvert  = nid  occupe  sans  oeufs  ni 
oisillons;  cercle  plein  = nid  avec  oeuf(s),  triangle  = nid  avec  oisillon(s). 


confined  to  areas  around  habitation  and  to  nest 
throughout  the  year  north  as  far  as  17°N  in  Mali, 
but  details  are  lacking.  Thiollay’s  (1976,  1978) 
raptor  study  in  the  Lamto  region  of  Cote  d’Ivoire 
(06 ’13’N  05°02’E)  contained  specific  information 
on  breeding  and  food  of  Yellow-billed  Kites,  but 
was  undertaken  in  well-forested  savanna  some 
1 ,000  km  south  of  our  study  area  in  Mali. 

Whilst  conducting  ornithological  research  in 
the  Inner  Delta  of  the  Niger  River  in  Mali,  in 
January-February  2004  and  2005,  we  collected 
data  on  the  local  population  of  Yellow-billed  Kites. 
Although  far  from  complete,  publication  is  war- 
ranted in  light  of  the  scarcity  of  detailed  data  from 
West  Africa. 

Study  area 

Situated  in  the  Sahel,  the  Niger  Delta  is  a season- 
al, river-fed  floodplain  of  which  the  flooded  sur- 
face varies  between  10,000  and  30,000  km*.  The 
Inner  Niger  Delta  is  one  of  the  largest  floodplains 
in  Africa,  fed  by  rainfall  in  montane  Guinea. 


Although  local  rainfall  is  mainly  concentrated  in 
July- August,  maximum  flood  is  reached  in 
November-December  (Zwarts  & Diallo  2002).  In 
winter  2003/04,  the  maximum  water  depth  was 
4.96  m,  i.e.  a normal  flood  compared  to  the  long- 
term range  of  3.25-6.25  m at  Akka,  along  the 
Issa-Ber,  during  the  past  45  years,  but  among  the 
three  highest  since  1994,  when  flood  performance 
considerably  improved  after  decades  of  drought 
(Zwarts  & Diallo  2002).  This  amounts  to  a flood- 
ed surface  of  14,700  km2.  In  winter  2004/05, 
maximum  water  depth  at  Akka  reached  only  4.1 1 
m (flooded  surface  10,400  km2),  with  a decline  in 
water  depth  of  5-6  cm  da^1  in  January  2005. 
Overall,  the  Inner  Delta  was  much  drier  over  larg- 
er parts  during  our  survey  in  2005  than  in  2004. 
Also,  many  trees  had  shed  their  leaves,  especially 
in  the  dry  zones. 

The  area  is  flat  and  largely  deforested. 
Remnant  inundated  forests  of  Acacia  kirkii  and 
Zizyphus  amphibius  occur  patchily  where  water 
levels  do  not  exceed  2-4  m,  notably  at  Akkagoun 


126  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Notes  on  breeding  and  food  of  Yellow-billed  Kite  in  Mali:  Bijlsma  et  al. 


Table  1.  Egg  size  (mm)  of  Yellow-billed  Kites  Milvus  migrans  parasiticus  nesting  in  the  Inner  Niger  Delta  in  Mali;  all  clutches 
except  no.  408  complete  (egg  number  not  necessarily  representing  laying  order). 


Tableau  1.  Taille  des  ceufs  (mm)  de  Milans  noirs  Milvus  migrans  parasiticus  nichant  dans  le  Delta  interieur  du  Niger  au 
Mali;  toutes  les  pontes  sauf  le  no.  408  completes  (le  numero  de  I'oeuf  ne  represente  pas  necessairement  I'orde  de  ponte). 


Site  (nest  no.) 

Date 

Egg  1 

Egg  2 

Egg  3 

Diaka  (12) 

30  January  2004 

51.3x41.6 

51.5x39.9 

Somadougou  (24) 

13  February  2004 

51.4x37.2 

49.0  x 37.3 

48.7  x 36.3 

Dentaka  (293) 

28  January  2005 

51.1  x 40.6 

51.6x38.8 

52.2x41.2 

Dentaka  (298) 

28  January  2005 

55.0  x 42.4 

52.9  x 42.0 

56.1  x 42.4 

Dentaka  (300) 

28  January  2005 

46.9  x 39.2 

48.3  x 40.4 

46.1  x 39.0 

Mopti  (408) 

1 February  2005 

51.0x39.8 

and  Dentaka.  On  the  high  banks  of  the  rivers 
Niger,  Mayo  Dembe  and  Diaka,  a scattered 
growth  of  several  Acacia  species  (Acacia  sayal,  A. 
nilotica  and  A.  albida ) and  Balanites  aegyptiaca 
occurs.  Near  villages,  recently  planted  woodlots  of 
the  evergreens  Eucalyptus  camaldulensis  and 
Azadirachta  indica , and  small  stands  of  palms, 
Ficus  spp.,  (mainly  platyphylla)  and  Acacia  provide 
nesting  sites  for  raptors.  Sparse  tree  cover  is  also 
available  on  farmland  adjacent  to  the  floodplain  of 
the  Inner  Delta. 

Methods 

On  19  January-15  February  2004  and  19 
January-4  February  2005,  we  surveyed  a large  part 
of  the  Inner  Delta  between  Mopti  (14°30’N 
04°12’E),  Korientze  (15°18’N  03°48’E),  Akka 
(15°40’N  04°23’E)  and  Tenenkou  (14°27’N 
04°55’E)  by  pirogue  and  on  foot.  Our  main  objec- 
tive was  to  assess  the  use  of  various  vegetation 
types  (mainly  Bourgou  Echinochloa  stagnina , 
Didere  Vossia  cuspidata , wild  rice  Oryza  longistami- 
nata  and  water  lilies  Nymphea  spp.)  by  birds,  in 
relation  to  seasonal  and  annual  changes  in  water 
level.  We  systematically  censused  all  birds  present 


in  258  and  177  plots  of  <1-100  ha  respectively  in 
2004  and  2005,  scattered  over  the  Inner  Delta  and 
stratified  according  to  vegetation  type  and  water 
depth.  Although  somewhat  biased  towards  areas 
reachable  by  pirogue  and  by  car,  our  surveys  oth- 
erwise covered  a random  sample  of  the  region, 
varying  from  extremely  dry  to  extremely  wet  in  all 
available  habitats. 

Whilst  travelling  by  boat  between  census  areas, 
and  during  and  in  between  censuses,  we  recorded 
all  raptors  and  endeavoured  to  check  Yellow-billed 
Kite  nests  whenever  possible.  In  2004,  23  of  24 
nests  were  accessed,  the  remaining  nest  being 
observed  from  the  ground.  In  2005,  we  recorded 
62  nests,  of  which  14  were  climbed,  12  closely 
scrutinised  from  the  ground  and  30  observed  for 
occupation  from  a distance  (breeding  or  attending 
bird  visible,  transportation  of  prey  or  nesting 
material,  dilapidated  or  not).  Behaviour  and 
moult  of  pair  members  was  recorded  during  nest 
visits,  as  well  as  nest  tree  species,  nest  height, 
clutch  size,  egg  size  (to  the  nearest  tenth  of  a mm 
with  callipers),  body  mass,  maximum  wing-chord 
and  crop  size  of  nestlings,  and  food  remains. 
Nestling  age  was  estimated  by  comparing  weights 


Table  2.  Weights  (g),  measurements  (mm)  and  crop  (0=empty,  2=bulging)  of  nestling  Yellow-billed  Kites  Milvus  migrans  par- 
asiticus, 30  km  south  of  Sevare  in  2004  and  at  Dentaka,  in  Lac  Walado  Debo,  in  2005. 


Tableau  2.  Poids  (g),  mensurations  (mm)  et  jabot  (0=vide,  2=bombe)  d'oisillons  du  Milan  noir  Milvus  migrans  parasiticus,  30 
km  au  sud  de  Sevare  en  2004  et  a Dentaka,  au  Lac  Walado  Debo,  en  2005. 


Site  (nest  no.) 

Date 

Chick 

Wing  length 

Body  mass 

Crop 

Somadougou  (15) 

12  February  2004 

A 

38 

143 

0 

Somadougou  (15) 

12  February  2004 

B (dead) 

21 

35 

0 

Somadougou  (21) 

13  February  2004 

A 

135 

495 

0 

Dentaka  (299) 

28  January  2005 

A 

73 

335 

2 

Dentaka  (299) 

28  January  2005 

B 

59 

275 

2 

Dentaka  (299) 

28  January  2005 

C 

37 

135 

2 

Notes  on  breeding  and  food  of  Yellow-billed  Kite  in  Mali:  Bijlsma  et  al. 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  - 127 


and  measurements  with  growth  curves  of  M.  m. 
migrans  obtained  from  wild  broods  (Bos  1999) 
and  chicks  in  captivity  (Jones  1990,  Bijlsma 
1997). 

Some  nests  had  been  used  the  previous  year, 
and  food  remains  on  and  below  such  nests  were 
also  collected  (for  identification  of  amphibians  cf. 
Rodel  2000).  This  was  far  more  successful  in 
2004,  as  cattle  and  sheep  had  not  yet  trampled  the 
ground  (as  in  2005). 

Distribution 

Yellow-billed  Kite  is  a common  raptor  in  the  Inner 
Delta  of  the  Niger  River,  but  completely  flooded 
areas  without  trees  are  mostly  avoided.  Territorial 
pairs  occurred  wherever  trees  were  available  for 
nesting,  with  a preference  for  those  around  habita- 
tion and  close  to  (permanent)  water  (Fig.  1). 
Despite  systematic  searches  in  and  close  to  the 
Inner  Delta,  we  were  unable  to  locate  kite  nests 
away  from  permanent  water,  e.g.  in  a strip  of  1-5 
km  north-east  of  Akka,  1-5  km  east  of  Sevare  and 
away  from  villages  in  farmland  between  Sevare 
and  Somadougou  (only  one  nest  in  a transect  of 
25  km  with  a 200  m-wide  belt).  A similar  scarcity 
was  noticed  on  18  January  2004  (07.55-15.50 
hrs)  between  Bamako  and  Sevare  (10  km  east  of 
Mopti),  a stretch  of  c.600  km.  Small  groups  of 
2-10  Yellow-billed  Kites  were  only  recorded  in  the 
villages  of  Maracacoungo,  Sofara,  Bounguel  and 
Somadougou,  as  well  as  in  the  cities  of  Bamako 
and  Segou.  These  assemblages  were  associated 
with  water  or  marketplaces  in  villages  or  towns. 

Breeding 

In  2004,  five  out  of  24  nest-holding  pairs  attend- 
ed a nest  site  without  showing  any  breeding 
behaviour.  Such  birds — either  singly  or  as  a pair — 
circled  the  nesting  tree  for  a short  period  of  time 
during  our  visit.  None  of  these  birds  was  moult- 
ing, nor  did  they  call  or  (mock-)  attack.  In  anoth- 
er 1 1 nests  egg-laying  had  not  yet  started  but  pairs 
demonstrated  pre-incubation  behaviour  such  as 
nest  building,  copulation  (twice),  alarm-calling 
when  we  approached  the  nest,  circling  overhead 
and  intently  watching  from  nearby  during  the  nest 
check.  Ten  of  these  nests  already  had  some  down 
feathers  on  the  nest  rim  or  in  the  nest  cup. 

Two  nests  contained  a single  fresh  egg,  in  both 
cases  an  incomplete  clutch  based  on  the  lack  of 
dirt  on  the  egg,  the  rough  egg  surface  (incubated 


eggs  become  smooth  after  some  time)  and  they 
being  lukewarm  to  touch  (egg  temperature  of  an 
incubated  clutch  is  much  higher).  Another  nest 
probably  held  at  least  one  egg  (the  departing  bird 
clearly  had  a brood  patch),  but  we  could  not  reach 
the  nest  in  a dense  Acacia  to  ascertain  its  status. 
Two  nests  contained  apparently  complete  clutches 
of  respectively  two  and  three  eggs  (Table  1).  In 
both  cases  the  eggs  were  smooth  and  the  incubat- 
ing bird  was  moulting,  indicating  that  incubation 
had  been  underway  for  some  time. 

Nestlings  were  recorded  in  three  nests:  a nest 
with  at  least  one  chick  of  cA  weeks  old  in  a palm 
tree  near  Kanalle  (29  January  2004,  nest  tree  not 
climbed),  a nest  with  a seven-day  old  chick  and  a 
fresh  dead,  emaciated  chick  on  12  February  2004, 
and  another  nest  near  Somadougou  with  a single 
chick  estimated  at  16  days  old.  Chicks  in  nests  15 
and  21  (Table  2)  were  attended  by  an  adult,  of 
which  the  first  one  struck  the  climber  three  times 
on  the  head. 

In  2005,  the  situation  was  quite  different:  of 
62  nests  closely  observed,  30  were  loosely  attend- 
ed by  1-2  kites.  These  birds  readily  joined  other 
kites  or  were  absent  from  the  nest  site  for  long 
periods.  Sixteen  pairs  showed  some  pre-laying 
behaviour,  such  as  copulation  (timed  once,  with- 
out cloacal  contact:  8 seconds),  transportation  of 
nesting  material  or  prey,  chasing  away  White- 
billed Buffalo  Weavers  Bubalornis  albirostris  from 
the  nest  rim,  display  calls  and  pair-wise  nest  atten- 
dance. Another  16  pairs  had  active  nests  with 
either  eggs  or  nestlings,  of  which  seven  were 
climbed:  one  incomplete  clutch  of  one  egg,  five 
completed  clutches  of  three  eggs  (Table  1)  and  one 
nest  with  three  well-fed  chicks  of  1 1 , 9 and  7 days 
old  (Table  2).  Only  at  Dentaka  forest,  in  Lake 
Walado  Debo,  was  breeding  in  full  swing,  with 
eight  active  nests  and  another  7-10  expected  (half 
the  forest  checked,  low-flying  adults  counted). 
Elsewhere  in  the  Inner  Delta,  most  kites  refrained 
from  breeding  except  some  pairs  along  the  Niger 
River.  For  example,  Yellow-billed  Kites  at  the  sea- 
sonal lake  near  Somadougou  were  not  (yet?) 
breeding,  whereas  this  site  held  many  active  pairs 
in  2004.  Interestingly,  large  flocks  of  non-breeders 
were  a typical  feature  of  2005,  with  35  at  N’Djara- 
Dire  encampment  (25  January),  85  at  Dentaka 
(28  January),  450  and  75  on  roosts  along  the 
Niger  (31  January,  just  north  of  Bouna)  and  25, 
50  and  85  near  Somadougou  (2  February).  No 


128  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Notes  on  breeding  and  food  of  Yellow- billed  Kite  in  Mali:  Bijlsma  et  al. 


Table  3.  Prey  remains  found  on  and  underneath  11  nests 
of  Yellow-billed  Kites  Milvus  migrans  parasiticus  in  the 
Inner  Niger  Delta  of  Mali  in  January-February  2004,  and 
ditto  14  nests  in  January-February  2005. 

Tableau  3.  Restes  de  proies  trouvees  sur  et  en  dessous 
de  25  nids  de  Milans  noirs  Milvus  migrans  parasiticus  dans 
le  Delta  interieur  du  Niger  au  Mali  (11  nids  en  janvier— fevri- 
er  2004  et  14  nids  en  janvier— fevrier  2005). 

Prey  species 

2004 

2005 

African  Hedgehog  Atelerix  albiventris 

3 

2 

Musk  Shrew  Crocidura  spp. 

0 

1 

Norwegian  Rat  Rattus  norvegicus 

7 

12 

African  Striped  Weasel  Poecilogale  albinucha 

3 

0 

Long-tailed  Cormorant  Phalacrocorax  africanus 

2 

4 

Black-crowned  Night  Heron  Nycticorax  nycticorax 

2 

0 

Cattle  Egret  Bubulcus  ibis 

1 

1 

Little  Egret  Egretta  garzetta 

0 

5 

Intermediate  Egret  E.  intermedia 

0 

1 

Squacco  Heron  Ardeola  ralloides 

1 

0 

Domestic  Chicken  Gallus  gallus 

4 

2 

Galliformes  spp. 

1 

0 

Spur-winged  Lapwing Vanellus  spinosus 

1 

0 

Wood  Sandpiper  Tringa  glareola 

1 

1 

Vinaceous  Pigeon  Streptopelia  vinacea 

0 

1 

Senegal  Coucal  Centropus  senegalensis 

1 

0 

Passerine  spp. 

1 

0 

Rainbow  Lizard  Agama  spp. 

0 

1 

Common  African  Toad  Bufo  regularis 

1 

0 

Crowned  Bullfrog  Hoplobatrachus  occipitalis 

32 

4 

Puddle  Frog  sp.  Phrynobatrachus  sp. 

2 

2 

Mudfish  Clarias  anguillaris 

17 

1 

African  Lungfish  Protopterus  annectens 

1 

0 

Wahrindi  Synodontis  schall 

5 

2 

Nile  Perch  Lates  nilotica 

1 

0 

African  Carp  Labeo  senegalensis 

1 

1 

Cichlidae  spp.  Tilapia  spp.  (mostly  zillii) 

15 

7 

Desert  Locust  Schistocerca  gregaria 

0 

1 

such  flocks  were  observed  in  early  2004,  except  in 
the  Mopti  region. 

Most  nests  were  in  Acacia , the  rest  in  Balanites 
aegyptiaca , palms,  Ficus  spp.,  Adansonia  spp., 
Eucalyptus  spp.  and  Khaya  senegalensis.  Nest  height 
averaged  9.3  m (range  3.2-17  m,  SD=3.8,  N=6l), 
and  was  highest  in  Ficus , palms  and  Eucalyptus. 
Nests  in  Acacia  were  more  or  less  protected  from 
human  disturbance  by  the  dense  canopy  and 
abundant  thorns.  However,  in  2003  branch-clip- 
ping Acacia  was  common  practice  to  provide  goats 
and  sheep  with  fodder.  All  nest  cups  were  lined 
with  an  assortment  of  rope,  rags,  plastic,  bones, 
dried  goat  hide,  wasp  comb,  plant  material  and 
dung  (Fig.  1). 


Food 

In  2004,  prey  remains  were  mainly  collected  from 
nests  that  had  been  successful  in  2003  (Table  3). 
Consequently,  only  indigestible  parts  and  discard- 
ed prey  items  were  likely  to  be  found,  and  the  list 
is  evidently  not  wholly  representative  of  the  kites 
diet.  Prey  items  collected  in  2003  were  mostly 
fresh,  hence  probably  showing  a less-biased  diet. 

The  prey  list  of  kites  nesting  in  the  Inner  Delta 
of  Mali  is  numerically  dominated  by  frogs  and 
fishes,  with  a wide  range  of  mammals  and  birds. 
Most  frogs  were  intact  or  partially  eaten,  and 
found  as  dried  carcasses  on  the  nest.  A Crowned 
Bullfrog  Hoplobatrachus  occipitalis , transported  by 
an  adult  kite  to  a plucking  post  near  the  nest  with 
one  chick,  on  12  February  2004,  weighed  155  g 
and  must  have  been  scavenged  when  already  dead 
(skin  dry  and  cracked,  but  otherwise  quite  fresh). 

All  African  Hedgehogs  Atelerix  albiventris  were 
clean-picked,  with  only  the  skin  (turned  inside 
out)  remaining.  Adult  and  juvenile  Norwegian 
Rat  Rattus  norvegicus  abdomens,  including  the  tail 
or  skulls,  were  found  on  nests,  and  several  were 
seen  being  captured  alive  or  transported  in  2005 
(Dentaka,  Niger  River,  Mopti).  African  Striped 
Weasels  Poecilogale  albinucha  were  only  represent- 
ed by  skulls. 

Wings  or  carcasses  of  Long-tailed  Cormorants 
Phalacrocorax  africanus  and  herons  were  present; 
one  cormorant  was  enmeshed  in  a fisherman’s  net. 
In  2005,  the  Dentaka  kites  clearly  profited  from 
the  huge  colonies  of  cormorants  and  herons  in  the 
forest;  the  ground,  trees  and  nests  were  littered 
with  many  thousands  of  dead  or  dying  cor- 
morants, and  smaller  numbers  of  herons  and 
African  Darters  Anhinga  rufa.  According  to  local 
fishermen,  the  mortality  among  cormorants  was 
much  more  pronounced  than  in  previous  years.  A 
random  sample  of  15  plots  produced  a mean  20 
dead  Long-tailed  Cormorants  per  100  m",  varying 
from  3-43  birds  per  plot’1.  Norwegian  Rats  must 
have  abounded  as  well;  the  nest  with  kite  chicks 
held  remains  of  eight  Norwegian  Rats.  Fishes  were 
represented  by  skulls  (Mudfish  Clarias  anguillaris, 
Wahrindi  Synodontis  schall , African  Carp  Labeo 
senegalensis , Nile  Perch  Lates  nilotica)  or  were 
found  intact  or  partially  eaten  and  dried-out 
( Tilapia  spp.,  African  Lungfish  Protopterus 
annectens). 

The  outbreak  of  Desert  Locusts  Schistocerca 
gregaria  in  West  Africa,  the  largest  since  1986-89, 


Notes  on  breeding  and  food  of  Yellow-billed  Kite  in  Mali:  Bijlsma  et  al. 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  - 129 


130 -Bull  ABC 


12  No  2 (2005) 


Notes  on  breeding  and  food  of  Yellow-billed  Kite  in  Mali:  Bijlsma  et  al. 


also  reached  Mali.  In  early  2005,  we  recorded 
many  adult  locusts  throughout  the  Inner  Delta 
but  nowhere  did  numbers  reach  swarm  densities. 
Yellow-billed  Kites  were  seen  devouring  locusts, 
but  compared  with  other  prey  species  this  was  not 
a significant  prey  during  our  short  observation 
periods  (Table  3). 

Discussion 

According  to  Lamarche  (1980),  several  thousand 
M.  m.  migrans  pass  the  Sahel  zone  in  Mali  in 
August-September,  and  again  in  February- 


Captions  to  figures  on  opposite  page 

Figure  2.  Nest  of  Yellow-billed  Kite  Milvus  migrans  para- 
siticus with  freshly  laid  egg  in  palm  tree,  surrounded  by 
offal  and  human  faeces,  Debo  Lake,  Mali,  23  January 
2004  (Willem  van  Manen) 

Nid  d'un  Milan  noir  Milvus  migrans  parasiticus  dans  un 
palmier,  contenant  un  oeuf  fraichement  pondu  et  entoure 
d'ordures  et  d'excrements  humains,  Lac  Debo,  Mali,  23 
janvier  2004  (Willem  van  Manen) 

Figure  3.  Adult  Yellow-billed  Kite  Milvus  migrans  para- 
siticus feeding  chick(s),  Niger  River  near  Mopti,  Mali,  19 
January  2005  (Willem  van  Manen) 

Milan  noir  Milvus  migrans  parasiticus  adulte  nourrissant 
un/des  oisillon(s),  fleuve  Niger  pres  de  Mopti,  Mali,  19 
janvier  2005  (Willem  van  Manen) 

Figure  4.  Flock  of  non-breeding  Yellow-billed  Kites 
Milvus  migrans  parasiticus  within  100  m of  the  nearest 
active  kite  nests,  Dentaka  forest,  Mali,  28  January  2005 
(Willem  van  Manen) 

Groupe  de  Milans  noirs  Milvus  migrans  parasiticus  non- 
nicheurs  se  trouvant  a moins  de  100  m des  nids  occupes 
les  plus  proches,  foret  de  Dentaka,  Mali,  28  janvier  2005 
(Willem  van  Manen) 

Figure  5.  Completed  clutch  of  Yellow-billed  Kite  Milvus 
migrans  parasiticus , surrounded  by  clumps  of  clay  and 
wing  of  a Long-tailed  Cormorant  Phalacrocorax  africanus, 
Dentaka  forest,  Mali,  28  January  2005  (Willem  van 
Manen) 

Ponte  complete  d'un  Milan  noir  Milvus  migrans  parasiti- 
cus entouree  de  morceaux  d'argile  et  d'une  aile  de 
Cormoran  africain  Phalacrocorax  africanus , foret  de 
Dentaka,  Mali,  28  janvier  2005  (Willem  van  Manen) 

Figure  6.  Nestling  Yellow-billed  Kites  Milvus  migrans 
parasiticus,  aged  7-11  days,  surrounded  by  prey  remains 
at  Dentaka  forest,  Mali,  28  January  2005  (Willem  van 
Manen) 

Oisillon  de  Milan  noir  Milvus  migrans  parasiticus  age  de 
7-1 1 jours,  entoure  de  restes  de  proies,  foret  de  Dentaka, 
Mali,  28  janvier  2005  (Willem  van  Manen) 


March.  In  the  Inner  Delta,  we  observed  161  Black 
Kites  closely  in  order  to  establish  their  subspecific 
identity:  all  were  M.  m.  parasitus.  Similarly,  the 
large  population  (c.250  birds)  along  the  Niger 
River  at  Mopti  consisted  entirely  of  parasitus. 
Again,  in  early  2005  we  failed  to  record  nominate 
migrans , even  amongst  the  larger  assemblages 
(roosts,  non-breeding  flocks). 

Yellow-billed  Kites  showed  a preference  for 
permanent  human  settlements.  All  concentrations 
were  near  villages,  which  in  turn  are  largely  con- 
fined to  banks  of  main  watercourses  (Niger, 
Diaka),  seasonal  lakes  (e.g.  Wendoubana  near 
Mopti)  and  permanent  lakes  (Walado  Debo, 
Debo,  Korientze),  accounting  for  the  patchy 
breeding  distribution  of  Yellow-billed  Kites  in  the 
delta  (Fig.  1).  This  association  is  linked  to  the 
presence  of  suitable  trees  for  nesting,  permanent 
water  within  1 km  and  a predictable  food  supply. 
Tall  trees  in  villages,  or  within  a radius  of  1 km  of 
a village,  often  contained  a stick  nest  constructed 
by  kites.  For  example,  the  well-wooded  village  of 
Youvarou,  with  c.6,000  inhabitants,  along  the  Issa- 
Ber,  in  the  northern  Inner  Delta,  held  at  least  eight 
territorial  pairs,  on  26  January  2004,  which  for- 
aged within  the  confines  of  the  village  including 
the  shoreline.  Where  villages  were  >1  km  away 
from  permanent  surface  water,  even  if  trees  were 
available,  nesting  Yellow-billed  Kites  were  often 
absent.  Temporary  encampments,  established  in 
the  wake  of  the  receding  flood  during  the  winter, 
to  be  dismantled  as  soon  as  fishing  opportunities 
deteriorate,  attracted  Yellow-billed  Kites  for  the 
duration  of  fishing  activities  because  of  the  pres- 
ence of  extensive  beds  with  fish  drying  in  the  sun. 
A census  of  Yellow-billed  Kites  exploiting  such 
sites  on  17-25  January  2004  showed  a significant 
positive  correlation  between  the  number  of  such 
temporary  settlements  and  the  number  of  kites 
(Spearman,  rs  = 0.6934,  df  = 11,  one-tailed,  P = 
0.004). 

The  association  with  people  and  water  is  also 
clearly  borne  out  by  the  choice  of  food.  Our 
dietary  sample  in  the  Inner  Delta,  however,  is 
unlikely  to  be  typical  of  other  regions  and  other 
seasons.  In  our  list,  for  example,  pericarp  of  the 
African  Oil  Palm  Elaeis  guineensis  (not  occurring 
in  Inner  Delta  of  Mali,  where  instead  Borassus 
Palm  Borassus  aethiopum , Doum  Hyphaene  the- 
baica  and — locally — Date  Palm  Phoenix  dactylifera 
can  be  found),  Red-billed  Queleas  Quelea  quelea , 


Notes  on  breeding  and  food  of  Yellow-billed  Kite  in  Mali:  Bijlsma  et  al. 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  - 131 


insects  and  caterpillars  are  lacking;  these  items 
were  abundantly  taken  by  Yellow-billed  Kites  nest- 
ing in  Cote  d’Ivoire,  as  construed  from  visits  to 
active  nests  and  stomach  analyses  of  collected 
birds  (Thiollay  1978),  and  elsewhere  in  West 
Africa  (Brown  1971,  Brown  et  al.  1982). 

Apart  from  frogs  and  mammals,  almost  all 
prey  remains  found  at  nests  were  apparently  scav- 
enged near  villages,  along  the  shoreline,  from  the 
water  surface  and  in  waterbird  colonies.  During 
the  flood,  fishing  in  the  delta  is  very  intense, 
involving  tens  of  thousands  of  people  and  many 
tons  of  fish  each  season.  Most  fish  are  consumed 
locally,  whilst  dried  and  smoked  fish  is  mostly 
exported  within  Mali  or  to  neighbouring  coun- 
tries. Drying  fish  is  an  important  food  source  for 
kites,  and  roving  kites  are  a common  sight  in  vil- 
lages in  the  Inner  Delta.  A side  effect  of  fishing 
with  standing  nets  is  the  capture  of  large  numbers 
of  waterbirds,  especially  cormorants  and 
egrets/herons.  Drowned  birds — except  those  with 
webbed  feet — are  discarded  by  the  local  people, 
unless  caught  alive  and  killed  in  the  proper  way 
according  to  Islamic  law.  Furthermore,  large  num- 
bers of  herons,  egrets,  ducks  and  terns  are  caught 
annually  on  baited  fishing  lines  (Kone  et  al.  2002). 
When  caught  alive,  they  are  consumed  locally  or 
sold  at  nearby  markets;  if  already  dead,  they  are 
thrown  away.  This  is  a profitable  food  source  for 
kites  in  November-March.  At  one  deserted  camp- 
site, occupied  for  a few  weeks,  at  most,  in  late- 
January  2004,  the  remains  of  42  Long-tailed 
Cormorants,  30  Cattle  Egrets,  one  Little  Egret, 
two  Grey  Herons  Ardea  cinerea,  one  domestic 
chicken  and  one  Yellow-billed  Kite  were  collected 
around  the  cooking  spot.  Doubtless,  most  fishes 
and  birds  in  Table  3 were  originally  killed  by  peo- 
ple and  eventually  scavenged  by  kites.  With  the 
present  dataset,  we  are  unable  to  state  whether 
only  breeding  kites  profit  from  discards,  or  non- 
breeders as  well.  A study  of  Black  Kites  in  Spain 
revealed  that  garbage  dumps  were  exploited  by 
non-breeding  and  migrant  kites,  whereas  breeders 
foraged  on  a variety  of  wild  prey  and  rarely  scav- 
enged at  dumps  (Blanco  1997). 

Our  small  sample  of  nests  revealed  a wide  vari- 
ation in  the  timing  of  breeding  during  January 
and  February  2004:  many  nest  sites  were  unoccu- 
pied (empty  nests  with  no  evidence  of  the  presence 
of  pairs),  pairs  were  not  yet  territorial  (showing  up 
at  nest  sites  after  5-15  minutes,  and  exhibiting  no 


territorial  or  aggressive  behaviour),  pre-incubation 
behaviour  (copulation,  display,  calling,  permanent 
presence  at  nest  site),  just  starting  egg-laying 
(22/23  January,  29/30  January),  advanced  incuba- 
tion (30  January,  13  February),  and  four  nests 
with  chicks  between  seven  days  old  (12  February), 
16  days  old  (13  February)  and  four  weeks  old  (29 
January).  The  latter  pair  must  have  started  egg  lay- 
ing in  the  final  week  of  November.  Our  expecta- 
tion that  even  fewer  Yellow-billed  Kites  would  be 
nesting  in  the  Inner  Delta  in  early  2005,  based  on 
the  much  lower  flood  compared  with  the  previous 
year,  was  proven  correct.  Only  at  Dentaka  was 
breeding  well  advanced,  probably  because  of  the 
profusion  of  dead  cormorants  and  herons  in  the 
local  colony,  and  the  supposed  abundance  of  rats 
and  fish  scraps. 

All  pairs  with  active  nests,  both  in  2004  and 
2005,  bred  within  a short  distance  of  permanent 
water  and  villages;  pairs  not  yet  showing  breeding 
behaviour  resided  near  villages  >5  km  away  from 
permanent  open  water.  Our  limited  dataset  sug- 
gests that  Yellow-billed  Kites  in  the  Inner  Delta  of 
the  Niger  River,  to  a large  extent,  depend  on  food 
sources  associated  with  the  annual  flood  in 
November-March,  especially  when  breeding  (and 
moulting).  In  March-May,  the  dry  season,  the 
Inner  Delta  is  largely  devoid  of  kites,  their  where- 
abouts unknown.  Possibly,  many  kites  disperse 
south  after  the  flood  has  passed  the  Inner  Delta, 
anticipating  the  rainfall  from  June.  First  rains  may 
also  explain  the  presence  of  c.500  Yellow-billed 
Kites  (amongst  them  many  juveniles)  between 
Sevare  and  San  (c.200  km  along  the  southern 
Inner  Niger  Delta  fringe)  at  05.00-07.00  hrs,  on 
6 July  2004,  feeding  on  squashed  frogs  on  the 
road.  Those  nesting  some  distance  from  perma- 
nent water  may  time  the  breeding  cycle  in  associ- 
ation with  the  rainy  season  (July-August)  and  sub- 
sequent outbreaks  of  termites  (as  in  Cote  d’Ivoire: 
Thiollay  1976). 

Acknowledgements 

Without  the  support  of  Wetlands  International, 
Altenburg  & Wymenga  Ecological  Consultants,  and 
RIZA-Rijkswaterstaat  this  study  would  have  been 
impossible.  We  especially  thank  our  companions  in 
the  field,  Mori  Diallo  (who  also  identified  most  of 
the  fishes),  Bouba  Fofana,  Sine  Konta  and  Adama 
Konta,  and  gratefully  acknowledge  the  backing  of 
Bakary  Kone  and  Leo  Zwarts,  and  the  preparation  by 


132  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Notes  on  breeding  and  food  of  Yellow-billed  Kite  in  Mali:  Bijlsma  et  al. 


Eddy  Wymenga  and  his  team.  Joost  Brouwer,  Jean- 
Marc  Thiollay  and  Leo  Zwarts  commented  on  the 
manuscript,  and  Leo  Zwarts  also  kindly  produced 
the  maps. 

References 

Bijlsma,  R.  G.  1997.  [Field  Research  Manual  for  Raptor 
Studies ].  Utrecht:  KNNV  Uitgeverij.  [In  Dutch.] 
Blanco,  G.  1997.  Role  of  refuse  as  food  for  migrant, 
floater  and  breeding  Black  Kites  (. Milvus  migrans).]. 
Raptor  Res.  31:  71-76. 

Bos,  J.  1999.  [Growth  curve  and  onset  of  laying  of 
Black  Kites  Milvus  migrans ].  De  Takkelingl'.  92-96. 
[In  Dutch,  English  summary.] 

Brown,  L.  1971.  African  Birds  of  Prey.  Boston: 
Houghton  Mifflin. 

Brown,  L.  H.,  Urban,  E.  K.  & Newman,  K.  (eds.) 
1982.  The  Birds  of  Africa.  Vol.  1.  London,  UK: 
Academic  Press. 

Curry-Lindahl,  K.  1981.  Bird  Migration  in  Africa.  Vol. 

1 . London,  UK:  Academic  Press. 

Jones,  C.  G.  1990.  Notes  on  the  breeding  biology  and 
behaviour  of  the  Black  Kite  Milvus  migrans.  Gabar 
5:  5-13. 

Kone,  B.,  Diallo,  M.  & Fofana,  B.  2002.  L’ exploitation 
des  oiseaux  d’eau.  In  Wymenga,  E.,  Kone,  B.,  van 
der  Kamp,  J.  & Zwarts,  L.  (eds.)  Delta  Interieur  du 
fleuve  Niger.  Ecologie  et  gestion  durable  des  ressources 
naturelles.  Sevare:  Wetlands  International. 


Lamarche,  B.  1980.  Liste  commentee  des  oiseaux  du 
Mali,  lere  partie:  Non-passereaux.  Malimbus  2: 
121-158. 

Rodel,  M.-O.  2000.  Herpetofauna  of  West  Africa.  Vol.  1. 

Frankfurt  am  Main:  Chimaira. 

Thiollay,  J.-M.  1976.  Les  rapaces  d’une  zone  de  contact 
savane-foret  en  Cote  d’Ivoire:  modalites  et  succes  de 
la  reproduction.  Alauda  44:  275-300. 

Thiollay,  J.-M.  1978.  Les  rapaces  d’une  zone  de  contact 
savane-foret  en  Cote  d’Ivoire:  specialisations  ali- 
mentaires.  Alauda  46:  147-170. 

Zwarts,  L.  & Diallo,  M.  2002.  Eco-hydrologie  du 
Delta.  In  Wymenga,  E.,  Kone,  B.,  van  der  Kamp,  J. 
& Zwarts,  L.  (eds.)  Delta  Interieur  du  fleuve  Niger. 
Ecologie  et  gestion  durable  des  ressources  naturelles. 
Sevare:  Wetlands  International. 

a Doldersummerweg  1,  7983  LD  Wapse,  Netherlands. 
E-mail:  rob.bijlsma@planet.nl  (corresponding  author) 

^ Oosterbroekstraat  45,  9402  RB  Assen,  Netherlands. 
cc/o  Altenburg  & Wymenga  ecologisch  onderzoek,  PO 
Box  32,  9269  ZR  Veenwouden,  Netherlands. 


Notes  on  breeding  and  food  of  Yellow-billed  Kite  in  Mali:  Bijlsma  et  al. 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) -133 


Argan  woodland:  an  important  bird  habitat  in  Morocco 


Rae  Vernon ai,  Michel  ThevenoE,  Patrick  Bergierc  and  Emmanuel  Rousseau ^ 


L’Arganeraie:  un  habitat  important  pour  les  oiseaux  au  Maroc.  D’origine  tropicale,  l’Arganier 
Argania  spinosa  forme  dans  le  sud-ouest  du  Maroc,  region  appartenant  au  secteur  macaronesien,  de 
vastes  peuplements  arbores  qui  constituent  un  habitat  important  pour  les  oiseaux.  Cet  habitat  boise, 
le  plus  meridional  du  palearctique  occidental,  permet  a certaines  especes  d' oiseaux  de  nicher  ou 
d’hiverner  a une  latitude  bien  plus  basse  que  partout  ailleurs  en  Afrique  du  nord.  Dans  cet  arti- 
cle, nous  decrivons  en  detail  le  milieu  et  les  especes  nicheuses  de  l’arganeraie  et  abordons  plus 
brievement  son  importance  pour  les  migrateurs  et  les  hivernants  europeens.  L’originalite  du  peu- 
plement  d' oiseaux  nicheurs  vient  de  la  presence  de  plusieurs  especes  d’origine  tropicale  parmi 
lesquelles  deux  taxons  rares,  l’Aigle  ravisseur  Aquila  rapax  et  la  sous-espece  endemique  du  Maroc 
de  l’Autour-chanteur  sombre  Melierax  metabates  theresae.  Tous  deux  sont  menaces  par  la  destruc- 
tion ou  la  degradation  des  formations  matures  d’Arganier.  Nous  recommandons  que  des 
recherches  soient  menees  pour  preciser  leur  statut  actuel  de  fa^on  a prendre  les  mesures  de  con- 
servation appropriees. 


The  Argan  tree  Argania  spinosa  is  endemic  to 
Morocco  and  is  the  dominant  tree  in  wood- 
land over  much  of  the  south-west.  It  is  a member 
of  the  tropical  family,  Sapotaceae,  originating 
from  Macaronesia  (the  Azores,  Madeira,  Canaries 
and  Cape  Verdes),  which  includes  c.6 00  species 
and  50  genera.  The  Moroccan  coast  from  Cape 
Cantin-Safi  south  to  Ifni-Assaka  is  considered 
part  of  this  region  and  shares  many  elements  of  its 
flora,  including  Euphorbia  beaumierana , E.  echi- 
nus,, Senecio  antheuphorbium  and  Helianthemum 
canariense , which  occur  in  the  Argan  woodland. 
Argan  woodland  forms  an  important  bird  habitat 
that  has  rarely  been  mentioned  in  the  ornitholog- 
ical literature.  It  represents  the  southernmost  for- 
est habitat  in  the  Western  Palearctic  and  enables 
woodland  species  to  breed  or  winter  much  further 
south  than  elsewhere  in  North  Africa. 

Here,  we  describe  the  Argan  habitat  in 
detail,  as  many  parts  are  now  threatened  by  clear- 
ance for  agriculture.  We  list  all  breeding  birds 
using  this  unique  habitat,  and  also  mention  the 
most  noteworthy  migrant  and  wintering  species. 
Many  of  the  general  data  on  habitat  are  taken 
from  Benabid  (2000),  Boudy  (1950),  Emberger 
(1939)  and  M’Hirit  et al.  (1998),  and  information 
on  birds  from  records  summarised  in  Thevenot  et 
ai  (2003).  Additional  data  are  included  from  sev- 
eral papers  (e.g.  Bannerman  & Bannerman  1953, 
Heim  de  Balsac  & Heim  de  Balsac  1954,  Sage  & 
Meadows  1965,  Heinze  & Krott  1979,  Castell 
2000),  from  the  thesis  of  Rousseau  (2000)  and 


from  unpublished  notes  of  Paul  Chadwick, 
Raymond  Leveque,  Bryan  Sage  and  Ray  Thomas. 

The  Argan  habitat 

The  Argan  tree 

The  Argan  tree  is  one  of  the  most  important  tree 
species  in  North  Africa,  both  from  a botanical  and 
socio-economical  point  of  view.  It  is  long  lived, 
with  some  trees  known  to  be  200-250  years  old. 
It  superficially  resembles  an  olive  tree  with  a large, 
fine,  spreading  form  and  a dense  canopy  that  can 
reach  8-10  m high  if  left  unmanaged.  The  trunk 
is  strong  and  short,  with  a rough  bark.  The  leaves 
are  dark  green  above  and  pale  green  below;  they 
generally  fall  during  very  dry  conditions  (e.g.  in 
1980,  1991-92,  1992-93  and  2003).  The  tree 


■Oct  Nov  Dec  Jan  Feb  Mar  Apr  May  Jun  Jul  Aug  Sep 


1.  New  leaves  appear 

2.  Pre-existing  fruits  increase  in  size 

3.  Flowers  bloom,  max  from  March  to  May 

4.  Fruits  and  young  twigs  increase  in  size 

6.  Fruits  reach  maturity 

7.  Leaves  fall 

Figure  1 . Phenological  cycle  of  the  Argan  tree  Argania 
spinosa  (after  M’Hirit  et  al.  1998) 

Cycle  phenologique  de  1’Arganier  Argania  spinosa 
(d’apres  M'Hirit  et  al.  1998) 


134  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Argan  woodland:  an  important  bird  habitat  in  Morocco:  Vernon  et  al. 


flowers  in  spring  and  occasionally  in  the  autumn, 
with  fruits  reaching  maturity  in  June-July  (Fig.  1). 

Geographical  distribution  ofArgan  woodland 
Argan  woodland  covers  c.550, 000-828, 000  ha 
(Emberger  1939,  Boudy  1930,  M’Hirit  et  al. 
1998),  which  makes  it  the  second-largest  wood- 
land area  in  Morocco,  after  Holm  Oak  Quercus 
ilex  forest  (1,400,000  ha)  and  more  or  less  equiva- 
lent in  size  to  Barbary  Arbor-vitae  Tetraclinis  artic- 
ulata  forest  (600,000-730,000  ha:  M’Hirit  et  al. 
1998,  Thevenot  et  al.  2003).  Argan  is  restricted  to 
a large  semi-arid  region  of  south-west  Morocco, 
where  mean  rainfall  is  only  100-400  mm  p.a. 
(Emberger  1939).  The  largest  areas  occur  from 
Safi  in  the  Chiadma  region  (32°18’N),  in  the 
north,  to  the  Oued  Draa  in  the  Lower  Draa  region 
(28°40’N)  in  the  south,  and  include  both  the 
Souss  plain  and  the  High  and  Anti-Atlas  foothills. 


It  reaches  1,500  m in  the  Anti-Atlas.  A remnant 
population  also  perhaps  persists  in  the  Saquiat  Al- 
Hamra  in  Western  Sahara  (Valverde  1957). 

Argan  habitat  types 

Several  types  of  Argan  habitat  can  be  distin- 
guished, which  follow  a gradient  of  aridity  prima- 
rily governed  by  latitude  and  proximity  of  the 
Atlantic  Ocean.  Plant  species  characteristic  of 
Argan  woodland  include  Acacia  gummifera , 
Asparagus  altissimus , Bupleurum  dumosum , 
Chamaecytisus  albidus , Linaria  sagittata , Rhus  tri- 
partita, Warionia  saharae  and  Periploca  angustifolia 
(Benabid  2000). 

In  the  Haha  region,  where  the  High  Atlas 
meets  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  the  Argan  reaches  the 
coast  on  high  cliffs  and  on  headlands  such  as  Cape 
Sim,  Cape  Tafelney  and  Cape  Ghir,  where  it 
occurs  with  other  trees,  notably  Wild  Olive  Ole  a 
europaea  and  Lentisc  Pistacia  lentiscus. 
South  of  Agadir,  Argan  woodland  is 
largely  influenced  by  the  nearby  Atlantic 
Ocean,  with  pre-steppe  vegetation  dom- 
inated by  spurges  Euphorbia  beaumier- 
ana , E.  echinus , E.  regis-jubae,  Salsola 
longifolia  and  S.  vermiculata.  Inland  in 
the  Souss  Valley  and  the  Anti-Atlas,  the 
vegetation  is  more  xerophytic  with  some 
Acacia  gummifera  and  an  understorey  of 
mainly  Ziziphus  lotus,  Withania  adpressa , 
Launaea  arborescens , Senecio  anteuphor- 
bium  and  Genista  ferox. 

At  the  edge  of  its  range,  the  Argan 
comes  into  contact  with  Barbary  Arbor- 
vitae  Tetraclinis  articulata  and 
Phoenician  Juniper  Juniperus  phoenicea 
both  in  the  Haha,  Chiadma  and  Abda 
regions,  with  Holm  Oak  Quercus  ilex  and 
Juniper  Juniperus  oxycedrus  on  the  slopes 
of  the  Western  High  Atlas,  and  with 
Acacia  sp.  in  pre-desert  areas. 

In  its  natural  state,  the  Argan  formed 
a dense  forest  with  an  understorey  of 
impenetrable  scrub  where  more  than 
1 ,000  species  of  vascular  plants,  includ- 
ing 140  Moroccan  endemics,  have  been 
recorded  (M’Hirit  et  al.  1998).  But  man 
has  altered  most,  if  not  all,  Argan  wood- 
land over  many  centuries.  It  now  forms 


Figure  2.  Geographical  distribution  of  the  Argan  tree  Argania  spinosa  (after  M’Hirit  et  al.  1998) 
Repartition  geographique  de  l’Arganier  Argania  spinosa  (d’apres  M'Hirit  et  al.  1998) 


Argan  woodland:  an  important  bird  habitat  in  Morocco:  Vernon  et  al. 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  - 135 


an  open  parkland  forest  equivalent  to  the  Acacia 
open  woodland  south  of  the  Sahara,  or  even  in 
some  ways  to  the  managed  open  cork  oak  wood- 
lands in  northern  Morocco,  southern  Portugal  and 
Spain.  Locally,  the  understorey  has  totally  disap- 
peared due  to  excessive  grazing  or  ploughing.  As 
no  regeneration  occurs,  the  Argan  forest  here  is  on 
the  verge  of  extinction. 

The  use  of  the  Argan  woodland  by  Man 
For  centuries,  the  traditional  and  lightest  form  of 
Argan  woodland  exploitation  followed  three  dif- 
ferent forms:  cutting  of  branches  for  fuel,  grazing 
by  goats  (who  often  climb  trees),  sheep  and  occa- 
sionally camels,  and  harvesting  of  fruits  for  cook- 
ing oil.  Oil  production  was  low:  only  3.3  litres  per 
1 00  kg  of  dry  fruit  extracted  manually,  with  each 
tree  producing  8 kg  of  fruit  per  year. 

In  the  early-20th  century,  branches  and  whole 
trees  were  cut  to  produce  high-quality  charcoal  for 
the  large  cities,  especially  Casablanca,  Marrakech 
and  Safi,  resulting  in  the  destruction  of  200,000 
ha  of  woodland.  In  1923,  however,  a law  was 
passed  to  prevent  the  total  destruction  of  this 
unique  habitat.  Nowadays  timber  production 
from  Argan  is  still  estimated  at  c.400,000  m3  p.a., 
i.e.  13%  of  the  national  firewood  production. 

Since  the  1950s,  Argan  woodland  has  suffered 
much  clearance  of  the  understorey,  particularly  in 
the  lowlands,  with  the  soil  below  ploughed  occa- 
sionally for  the  production  of  cereals,  especially 
barley.  The  overall  ecological  balance  does  not 
appear  to  have  been  much  affected,  however,  as 
ploughing  was  performed  with  traditional  tools 
that  do  not  damage  tree  roots. 


Since  the  1980s,  more  intensive  cultivation  has 
commenced,  especially  in  the  rich  fertile  plain  of 
the  Souss  Valley,  where  the  mild  climate  and 
extensive  use  of  irrigation  has  permitted  a wide 
range  of  crops,  especially  citrus  and  olive  planta- 
tions, resulting  in  severe  fragmentation  of  some  of 
the  dominant  stands  of  Argan. 

As  an  example,  Table  1 shows  the  changes  in  the 
Argan  forest  of  Ademine,  between  1969  and  1986 
(El  Yousfi  & Benchekroun  1992,  M’Hirit  et  al. 
1998).  This  forest  stretches  for  35  km  on  the  south 
side  of  Oued  Souss,  between  Ait-Melloul  and  Ida- 
Ou-Mennou,  and  is  considered  one  of  the  finest 
Argan  forests  in  Morocco.  Regrettably  the  dramatic 
decline  at  Ademine  continues  to  the  present,  and 
recently  the  Ademine  forest  was  largely  destroyed 
by  the  construction  of  Agadir  airport. 

The  local  authorities  have  taken  some  protec- 
tive measures,  the  most  significant  being  the  estab- 
lishment in  1998  of  the  Reserve  de  biosphere  de 
l’Arganeraie,  part  of  the  World  Network  of 
Biosphere  Reserves  (UNESCO-MAB).  This  large 
reserve  (2.6  million  ha)  covers  almost  the  entire 
Argan  area  from  Essaouira  in  the  north,  to  Ifni  in 
the  south  and  Taliouine  in  the  east,  and  includes 
other  protected  areas,  such  as  Souss-Massa 
National  Park  and  some  12  Sites  of  Biological  and 
Ecological  Interest  (SIBE)  containing  Argan  habi- 
tats. Souss-Massa  National  Park  (33,800  ha),  cre- 
ated in  1991,  includes  several  Argan  stands,  the 
largest  being  Rokein  wood  (250  ha:  Rousseau 
2000).  Among  other  scheduled  continental  SIBEs 
(AEFCS  1995a),  the  most  important  are 
Tafingoult  on  the  southern  slopes  of  the  High 
Atlas  (3,000  ha,  the  majority  being  well-preserved 


Table  1 . Changes  in  Argan  habitat  at  Ademine  from  1 969  to  1 986  (after  M’Hirit  et  al.  1 998) 


Tableau  1.  Changements  dans  I’habitat  a Arganier  a Ademine  de  1969  a 1986  (d’apres  M'Hirit  etal.  1998) 


Type  of  habitat 

Size  (in  ha) 

Increase/decrease 

1969 

1986 

(in  ha) 

Dense  Argan  woodland  (more  than  40  trees  / ha) 

512 

496 

-16 

Average  Argan  woodland  (10-40  trees  / ha) 
Average  Argan  woodland  (10—40  trees  / ha) 

10,272 

3,472 

-6,800 

with  irrigated  cultivation 

400 

3,856 

+3,456 

Light  Argan  woodland  (fewer  than  10  trees  / ha) 
Light  Argan  woodland  (fewer  than  10  trees  / ha) 

10,448 

8,304 

-2,144 

with  irrigated  cultivation 

512 

5,616 

+5,104 

Cultivations  under  glass 

- 

80 

+80 

Habitation 

32 

176 

+144 

Dunes 

80 

80 

0 

Reforestation 

- 

176 

+176 

Total  size  (in  ha) 

22,256 

22,256 

136  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Argan  woodland:  an  important  bird  habitat  in  Morocco:  Vernon  et  al. 


Argan  forest),  Ademine  in  the  Souss  Valley  (3,500 
ha  of  open  parkland  Argan  forest)  and  Jbel  Imzi  in 
the  Anti-Atlas,  where  Argania  spinosa  occurs 
together  with  another  Macaronesian  endemic, 
Dracaena  dracco  (Benabid  2000).  Cap  Ghir,  a 
coastal  SIBE  along  the  Atlantic  seaboard  (AEFCS 
1995b)  holds  fine  stands  of  Argan  and  is  partly 
classed  as  an  Important  Bird  Area  (IBA  of 
Tarhazoute:  Magin  2001). 


Breeding  birds  of  the  Argan  woodland 
Argan  woodland  forms  an  important  habitat  for 
birds.  More  than  40  species  have  been  recorded 
breeding,  including  locally  rare  species,  e.g.  Dark 
Chanting  Goshawk  Melierax  metabates , Black- 
shouldered Kite  Elanus  caeruleus , Tawny  Eagle 
Aquila  rapax  and  Black-crowned  Tchagra  Tchagra 
senegalus.  Several  Palearctic  forest  species,  notably 
Wood  Pigeon  Columba  palumbus , Hawfinch 


Table  2.  Regular  breeding  bird  species  in  Argan  woodland 
Tableau  2.  Especes  d’oiseaux  nicheurs  reguliers  dans  I’arganeraie 


Species 

Nest  site 

On 

In 

In  Argan 

ground 

understorey 

trees 

Elanus  caeruleus 

Black-shouldered  Kite  / Elanion  blanc 

X 

Melierax  metabates 

Dark  Chanting  Goshawk  / Autour  sombre 

X 

Aquila  rapax 

Tawny  Eagle  / Aigle  ravisseur 

X 

Alectoris  barbara 

Barbary  Partridge  / Perdrix  gambra 

x 

Burhinus  oedicnemus 

Stone-curlew  / Oedicneme  criard 

X 

Columba  palumbus 

Wood  Pigeon  / Pigeon  ramier 

X 

Streptopelia  turtur 

European  Turtle  Dove  / Tourterelle  des  bois 

X 

Clamator  glandarius 

Great  Spotted  Cuckoo  / Coucou  geai 

X 

Athene  noctua 

Little  Owl  / Cheveche  d’Athena 

X 

Strix  aluco 

Tawny  Owl  / Chouette  hulotte 

X 

Caprimulgus  ruficollis 

Red-necked  Nightjar  / Engoulevent  a collier  roux 

X 

Upupa  epops 

Hoopoe  / Huppe  fasciee 

X 

Galerida  cristata 

Crested  Lark  / Cochevis  huppe 

X 

Galerida  theklae 

Thekla  Lark  / Cochevis  de  Thekla 

X 

Pycnonotus  barbatus 

Common  Bulbul  / Bulbul  des  jardins 

X 

Cercotrichas  galactotes 

Rufous  Scrub  Robin  / Agrobate  roux 

X 

Phoenicurus  moussieri 

Moussier’s  Redstart  / Rougequeue  de  Moussier 

X 

X 

X 

Oenanthe  hispanica 

Black-eared  Wheatear  / Traquet  oreillard 

X 

Turdus  merula 

Eurasian  Blackbird  / Merle  noir 

X 

X 

Sylvia  hortensis 

Orphean  Warbler  / Fauvette  orphee 

X 

X 

Sylvia  melanocephala 

Sardinian  Warbler  / Fauvette  melanocephale 

X 

X 

Sylvia  conspicillata 

Spectacled  Warbler  / Fauvette  a lunettes 

X 

Sylvia  deserticola 

Tristram’s  Warbler  / Fauvette  de  I’Atlas 

X 

Muscicapa  striata 

Spotted  Flycatcher  / Gobemouche  gris 

X 

Turdoides  fulva 

Fulvous  Babbler  / Craterope  fauve 

X 

Parus  major 

Great  Tit  / Mesange  charbonniere 

X 

Parus  [ caeruleus ] teneriffae 

African  Blue  Tit  / Mesange  maghrebine 

X 

Lanius  meridionalis 

Southern  Grey  Shrike  / Pie-grieche  meridionale 

X 

X 

Lanius  senator 

Woodchat  Shrike  / Pie-grieche  a tete  rousse 

X 

Tchagra  senegalus 

Black-crowned  Tchagra  / Tchagra  a tete  noire 

X 

X 

Pica  pica 

Common  Magpie  / Pie  bavarde 

X 

Garrulus  glandarius 

Eurasian  Jay  / Geai  des  chenes 

X 

Sturnus  unicolor 

Spotless  Starling  / Etourneau  unicolore 

X 

Passer  hispaniolensis 

Spanish  Sparrow  / Moineau  espagnol 

X 

X 

Fringilla  coelebs 

Common  Chaffinch  / Pinson  des  arbres 

X 

Serinus  serinus 

European  Serin  / Serin  cini 

X 

Carduelis  chloris 

European  Greenfinch  / Verdier  d’Europe 

X 

Carduelis  carduelis 

European  Goldfinch  / Chardonneret  elegant 

X 

X 

Carduelis  cannabina 

Common  Linnet  / Linotte  melodieuse 

X 

Bucanetes  githagineus 

Trumpeter  Finch  / Roselin  githagine 

X 

Coccothraustes  coccothraustes 

Hawfinch  / Gros-bec  casse-noyaux 

X 

Emberiza  cia 

Rock  Bunting  / Bruant  fou 

X 

X 

Emberiza  cirlus 

Cirl  Bunting  / Bruant  zizi 

X 

X 

Miliaria  calandra 

Corn  Bunting  / Bruant  prayer 

X 

Argan  woodland:  an  important  bird  habitat  in  Morocco:  Vernon  et  al. 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  - 137 


Coccothraustes  coccothraustes  and  Common 
Chaffinch  Fringilla  coelebs , reach  the  southern 
limit  of  their  range. 

In  the  Souss  region,  where  the  main  areas  of 
Argan  woodland  occur,  its  breeding  birds  were 
first  investigated  by  Lynes  (1925)  in  May/June 
1924,  but  he  gave  few  details  of  the  species  he 
found.  During  the  1940s,  the  Heim  de  Balsacs 
(1954)  travelled  through  the  Argan  area  in  south- 
west Morocco,  but  again  gave  few  details  on  the 
avifauna.  The  first  ornithologists  to  draw  attention 
to  the  importance  of  the  Argan  habitat  were  D.  & 
J.  Bannerman,  who  identified  32  species  during  a 
short  visit  south  of  Essaouira  (Bannerman  & 
Bannerman  1953).  To  our  knowledge,  however, 
no  detailed  ornithological  surveys  have  been  pub- 
lished prior  to  the  recent  field  studies  of  Rousseau 
(2000).  R.  E.  Moreau  (1966)  did  not  even  men- 
tion it  as  an  important  African  habitat.  Since  then, 
however,  enough  detailed  information  has  been 
gathered  to  assess  the  importance  to  birds  of  this 
habitat,  which  is  also  of  known  importance  for  its 
plants  and  for  mammals,  reptiles,  amphibians  and 
invertebrates,  e.g.  Lepidoptera  (Mellado  1989, 
Tarrier  & Benzyane  2003).  Table  2 lists  the  birds 
known  as  regular  breeding  species  in  Argan  forest. 

As  in  other  forest  habitats,  bird  species  rich- 
ness in  Argan  is  closely  related  to  vegetation  struc- 
ture, which  depends  on  climatic  and  physical 
variables  (soil,  aspect,  etc.)  but  also  on  human 
uses  (grazing,  ploughing,  etc.).  Argan  woodland  is 
less  rich  in  species  than  the  more  humid  oak  and 
cedar  woodlands  of  northern  Morocco,  which 
hold  the  highest  number  of  breeders  (Snow  1952, 
Thevenot  1982).  However,  the  42-46  species 
confirmed  to  breed  in  the  Argan  is  close  to  the 
figure  of  c.45-50  species  in  semi-arid  lowland 
cork  oak  forest  of  northern  Morocco  (Thevenot 
1991)  or  the  42-45  species  (excluding  raptors) 
given  by  Finlayson  (1992)  for  lowland  oak  woods 
in  southern  Spain. 

Many  species  occurring  in  the  moister  wood- 
lands of  northern  Morocco  do  not  penetrate  the 
semi-arid  Argan  woodland  south  of  the  High 
Atlas,  as  this  range  forms  a biogeographical  barri- 
er (Roux  1996).  These  include  Eurasian 
Sparrowhawk  Accipiter  nisus , Eurasian  Hobby 
Falco  subbuteo,  Stock  Dove  Columba  oenas,  Great 
Spotted  Woodpecker  Dendrocopos  major , 
Levaillant’s  Woodpecker  Ficus  vaillantii , 
Woodlark  Lullula  arborea,  European  Robin 


Table  3.  Relative  frequency  of  breeding  species  recorded  in 
Argan  woodland  in  Souss-Massa  National  Park  and 
Ademine  forest  in  1994-95  (Rousseau  2000) 

Tableau  3.  Frequence  relative  des  especes  nicheuses 
notees  dans  I’arganeraie  du  Parc  national  de  Souss-Massa 
et  de  la  Foret  d’Ademine  en  1994-95  (Rousseau  2000) 


Souss-Massa 

Ademine 

NP 

forest 

Number  of  point  counts  (EFP) 

34 

22 

Total  number  of  bird  species 

26 

24 

Mean  number  of  species/point  count 

10.7 

11.3 

Shannon’s  diversity  Index  (IT) 

4.24 

4.34 

Bird  species 

Relative  frequency 

Alectoris  barbara 

0.21 

0 

Burhinus  oedicnemus 

0.21 

0.14 

Columba  palumbus 

0.18 

0.45 

Streptopelia  turtur 

0.82 

0.82 

Clamator  glandarius 

0 

0.09 

Athene  noctua 

0.15 

0.04 

Strix  aluco 

0.06 

0 

Upupa  epops 

0.33 

0.41 

Galerida  theklae  and  G.  cristata 

0.54 

0.95 

Pycnonotus  barbatus 

0.18 

0.45 

Cercotrichas  galactotes 

0.03 

0 

Phoenicurus  moussieri 

0.57 

0.82 

Turdus  merula 

0.64 

0.68 

Sylvia  melanocephala 

0.67 

0.45 

Muscicapa  striata 

0.06 

0 

Parus  major 

0.3 

0.5 

Parus  [caeruleus]  teneriffae 

0.06 

0 

Lanius  meridionalis 

0.75 

0.14 

Lanius  senator 

0.45 

0.54 

Tchagra  senegalus 

0.09 

0.18 

Pica  pica 

0.75 

0.59 

Passer  domesticus 

0.48 

0.59 

Fringilla  coelebs 

0 

0.54 

Serinus  serinus 

0.3 

0.64 

Carduelis  chloris 

0.42 

0.77 

Carduelis  carduelis 

0.36 

0.77 

Carduelis  cannabina 

0.18 

0.36 

Emberiza  cirlus 

0 

0.09 

Miliaria  calandra 

0.03 

0.04 

Erithacus  rubecula,  Common  Redstart  Phoenicurus 
phoenicurus , Mistle  Thrush  Turdus  viscivorus , 
Firecrest  Regulus  ignicapilla , Atlas  Flycatcher 
Ficedula  ( hypoleuca :)  speculigera , Coal  Tit  Pams 
ater , Eurasian  Nuthatch  Sitta  europaea  and  Short- 
toed Treecreeper  Certhia  brachydactyla. 

Rousseau  (2000)  undertook  a bird  census,  in 
1994-95,  in  Argan  woodland  within  Souss-Massa 
National  Park  and  the  Ademine  forest,  using  point 
counts  (frequential  sampling  EFP:  see  Blondel 
1975).  The  results  are  summarised  in  Table  3.  He 
recorded  30  species,  the  most  frequent  (in  more 


138  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Argan  woodland:  an  important  bird  habitat  in  Morocco:  Vernon  et  al. 


than  50%  of  census  points;  occurrence  = 0.5) 
being  European  Turtle  Dove  Streptopelia  turtur , 
Thekla/Crested  Larks  Galerida  theklael cristata, 
Moussier’s  Redstart  Phoeniculus  moussieri , 
Sardinian  Warbler  Sylvia  melanocephala , Common 
Magpie  Pica  pica , European  Greenfinch  Carduelis 
chloris  and  European  Goldfinch  C.  carduelis. 
Other  regular  species  (occurrence  between  0.49 
and  0.30)  included  Wood  Pigeon,  Hoopoe  Upupa 
epops , Great  Tit  Par  us  major , Southern  Grey  Shrike 
Lanius  meridionals,  Woodchat  Shrike  L.  senator 
and  European  Serin  Serinus  serinus. 

Notes  on  selected  species 

All  species  below  occur  in  habitat  where  Argan 
forms  the  dominant  part  of  the  natural  vegetation. 
Excluded  are  species  breeding  in  pre-desert  steppe 
on  the  southern  slopes  of  the  Western  Anti-Atlas 
and  Lower  Draa,  where  a few  scattered  Argan 
occur,  often  with  Acacia  raddiana,  e.g.  Cream- 
coloured  Courser  Cursorius  cursor , Desert  Lark 
Ammomanes  deserti  and  Desert  Wheatear 
Oenanthe  deserti. 

Black-shouldered  Kite  Elanus  caeruleus 
Local  resident  in  open  parkland,  with  most 
records  from  the  Souss  Valley.  Threatened  due  to 
local  disturbance  and  clearance  of  suitable  habitat. 

Dark  Chanting  Goshawk  Melierax  metabates 
Very  local  resident  (subspecies  theresae , endemic  to 
Morocco),  now  restricted  to  the  Souss  Valley  and 
adjacent  Anti-Atlas  foothills.  Already  considered 
rare  by  Lynes  (1925).  Total  population  estimated 
at  a few  dozen  pairs  in  the  1980s  (Thevenot  et  al. 
1985),  but  now  probably  much  smaller  and  per- 
haps on  the  verge  of  extinction,  due  to  further 
degradation  and  removal  of  Argan.  Only  proof  of 
nesting  was  of  fledged  young  on  22  June  1924 
(Lynes  1925)  and  a pair  at  nest  with  young  in  an 
abandoned  olive  grove,  17-20  April  1979  (Heinze 
& Krott  1979). 

Long-legged  Buzzard  Buteo  rufinus 
Fairly  common  resident  in  the  early-20th  century 
(Lynes  1925);  now  uncommon  and  mainly  nests 
on  cliffs.  A breeding  record  in  1985  of  a nest  in 
Argan,  on  a steep  rocky  slope  in  Western  Anti- 
Atlas  (J.  P.  Marfin  pers.  comm.). 

Tawny  Eagle  Aquila  rapax 
Rare  and  endangered  resident,  showing  a continu- 
ous decline  in  the  second  half  of  the  20th  century. 


Now  almost  restricted  to  the  Souss,  Western  High 
Atlas  and  Anti-Atlas.  Nests  in  open  areas  of  Argan, 
but  breeding  records  few;  most  recent,  all  in  April, 
were  of  pair  at  nest  in  Argan  trees  in  1980,  1990 
and  1992.  Numbers  may  be  as  low  as  a few  dozen 
pairs. 

Booted  Eagle  Hieraaetus  pennatus 
Rare  migrant  breeder.  A pair  nested  in  the  Souss 
Valley  in  Argan  woodland  near  Taroudant  in  1980 
(Thevenot  et  al.  2001).  Also  nests  on  rocky  cliffs 
at  Aoulouz.  These  are  the  only  breeding  records 
south  of  the  High  Atlas. 

Common  Kestrel  Falco  tinnunculus 
Common  resident  in  open  Argan  woodland,  but 
only  occasionally  nesting  in  trees,  sometimes  in  an 
old  nest  of  Common  Magpie. 

Barbary  Partridge  Alectoris  barbara 
Previously  widespread  and  fairly  common  resident 
(A.  b.  koenigi ),  but  has  greatly  declined  through 
clearance  of  suitable  habitat  and  excessive  hunting 
and  poaching. 

Stone-curlew  Burhinus  oedicnemus 
Fairly  common  resident  in  open  Argan  woodland, 
generally  on  flat  or  gently  undulating  areas  with 
little  understorey. 

Black-bellied  Sandgrouse  Pterocles  orientals 
Uncommon  resident  in  the  Souss,  where  it  nests 
mostly  in  open  steppe,  but  in  the  Anti-Atlas  also 
in  stony  steppe  with  many  Euphorbia  and  some 
Argania  trees. 

Wood  Pigeon  Columba  palumbus 
Uncommon  resident  (C.  p.  excelsa).  Breeds  in 
moderate  numbers  in  the  Souss  and  Haha  regions 
in  Argan,  reaching  the  southern  limit  of  its  range 
in  the  Western  Anti-Atlas  near  Ifni. 

European  Turtle  Dove  Streptopelia  turtur 
Common  migrant  breeder  ( S . t.  arenicola),  gener- 
ally in  open  woodland.  Very  common  in  the  early- 
20th  century  (Lynes  1925)  and  still  common 
today,  but  may  be  under  threat  due  to  high  hunt- 
ing pressure.  Occasionally  recorded  in  winter. 

Laughing  Dove  Streptopelia  senegalensis 
Recent  immigrant,  probably  originating  from 
Algeria  (S.  s.  phoenicophila)  rather  than  Mauritania 
(5.  s.  senegalensis).  Mostly  breeds  in  oases  and 
orchards  in  the  coastal  Souss  area,  where  regularly 


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Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  - 139 


sighted  since  1988.  Two  singing  males  recorded 
once  in  a small  Argan  wood  within  Souss-Massa 
National  Park  (Rousseau  2000). 

Great  Spotted  Cuckoo  Clamator  glandarius 
Rare  migrant  breeder.  Nesting  long  suspected  in 
the  region,  but  only  proved  in  1990,  when  eggs 
were  found  in  a Common  Magpie  nest  in  the 
Souss  Valley  (Maumary  & Dupperrex  1991). 
Seven  subsequent  breeding  records,  all  in 
Common  Magpie  nests  in  Argan  habitat,  in  the 
Souss  and  in  foothills  of  the  Western  High  Atlas 
(near  Tafingoult),  and  the  Western  Anti-Atlas 
(northwest  of  Goulimine).  First  migrants  arrive  in 
late  November  and  leave  as  early  as  July. 

Desert  Eagle  Owl  Bubo  [bubo]  ascalaphus 
Rare  resident.  In  the  Argan,  known  only  from 
ravines  in  the  Abda  region. 

Little  Owl  Athene  noctua 

Common  resident  throughout  the  Argan  area, 
notably  in  the  Souss  and  Anti-Atlas  (A.  n.  glaux)\ 
also  locally  common  in  the  Lower  Draa  (A.  n. 
saharae).  Mostly  in  open  woodland,  where  it  nests 
in  holes  of  old  trees  and  in  stone  piles. 

Tawny  Owl  Strix  aluco 

Common  and  widespread  resident  in  the  Souss, 
where  it  reaches  the  southern  limit  of  its  range. 
Occurs  in  different  habitats,  notably  in  Argan 
woodland,  where  not  rare.  A nest  was  found  in  an 
Argan  tree  in  Rokein  wood,  Souss-Massa  National 
Park,  in  spring  1995  (Rousseau  2000). 

Red-necked  Nightjar  Caprimulgus  ruficollis 
Common  and  widespread  migrant  breeder 
throughout  the  area  (C.  r.  ruficollis ),  almost  entire- 
ly in  flat,  open  areas  of  Argan.  Occasionally 
recorded  in  winter. 

Hoopoe  Upupa  epops 

Locally  common  migrant  breeder  in  open  Argan 
woodland,  nesting  in  tree  holes.  Early  spring 
migrants  occur  from  late  December. 

Crested  Lark  Galerida  cristata 
Uncommon  resident  in  the  Souss  Valley  ( G . c. 
riggenbachi) , where  restricted  to  areas  of  cereals 
within  Argan  habitat  or  in  adjacent  cereals  where 
woodland  has  been  cut.  Occasionally  observed 
singing  from  Argan  trees. 


Thekla  Lark  Galerida  theklae 
Common  and  widespread  resident  in  the  northern 
Argan  area,  south  to  the  Souss  ( G . t.  ruficolor ) and 
further  south  in  the  Western  Anti-Atlas  ( G . t. 
aguirrei).  Mostly  on  stony  ground,  either  in  flat 
valleys  or  on  lower  and  upper  hillsides.  In  tran- 
sects, in  1981,  in  the  Souss  Valley,  highest  num- 
bers occurred  on  lower  hill  slopes  (Vernon  & 
Chadwick  unpubl.).  Regularly  observed  singing 
from  Argan  trees. 

Common  Bulbul  Pycnonotus  barbatus 
Common  and  widespread  in  the  Western  High 
Atlas,  Souss  and  Anti-Atlas,  where  particularly 
abundant  in  riparian  vegetation,  gardens,  and 
olive  and  citrus  orchards;  also  regularly  recorded 
in  Argan  habitat  but  a nest  in  an  Argan  tree  has  yet 
to  be  found. 

Winter  Wren  Troglodytes  troglodytes 
Probably  a very  local  resident.  Very  rarely  record- 
ed in  the  Argan  area,  where  its  breeding  status 
requires  confirmation.  During  the  breeding  sea- 
son, reported  twice  in  the  Western  Anti-Atlas  from 
Jbel  Kest  near  Tafraout,  once  in  the  Central  Anti- 
Atlas  in  the  Assads  Valley  and  once  in  the  Souss  at 
Fre'ija,  east  ofTaroudant  (Thevenot  et  al.  2003). 
Probably  restricted  to  moist  areas,  probably  only 
near  watercourses. 

Rufous  Scrub  Robin  Cercotrichas  galactotes 
Common  migrant  breeder  in  Argan  habitat  in  the 
Souss.  Also  occurs  at  low  altitudes  in  the  Haha 
and  Western  High  Atlas  and  breeds  locally  in  the 
Western  Anti-Atlas  and  the  Lower  Draa.  Occurs 
in  open  Argan  woodland  with  or  without  scrub 
undergrowth,  although  more  abundantly  in  bushy 
vegetation  along  rivers.  Nests  in  bushes. 

Moussier’s  Redstart  Phoenicurus  moussieri 
Common  and  locally  abundant  in  coastal  areas, 
from  Talmest,  Western  High  Atlas,  in  the  north,  to 
Ifni,  Western  Anti-Atlas,  in  the  south.  Also  com- 
mon inland  in  the  Souss  Valley  east  to  Aoulouz. 
Occurs  in  open  Argan  habitat  throughout.  Nest  is 
placed  on  the  ground,  sheltered  by  a low  bush  or 
tussock,  in  the  side  of  a low  bank,  under  thorn 
scrub  or  within  dense  bushes  including  Argan  or 
up  to  3 m in  Argan  trees.  Castell  (2000)  noted 
that  50%  of  the  30  nests  found  around  Agadir 
were  in  tree  forks. 


140  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Argan  woodland:  an  important  bird  habitat  in  Morocco:  Vernon  et  al. 


Black-eared  Wheatear  Oenanthe  hispanica 
Fairly  common  migrant  breeder  (O.  h.  hispanica). 
Generally  in  Argan  habitat  with  some  under- 
growth, on  both  flat  areas  and  lower  stony  hill- 
sides. Nests  on  the  ground,  under  stones  or  at  the 
base  of  bushes. 

Eurasian  Blackbird  Turdus  merula 
Common  resident  (T.  m.  mauritanicus , endemic 
to  north-west  Africa)  throughout  Atlantic 
Morocco,  in  Argan  habitat  south  to  the  Souss  and 
southern  slopes  of  the  Anti-Atlas.  Nests  in  bushes 
(e.g.  Ziziphus)  and  in  Argan  trees  up  to  4 m. 

Orphean  Warbler  Sylvia  hortensis 
Uncommon  migrant  breeder  in  the  Souss  and 
Anti-Atlas.  Nests  in  bushes  and  trees  within  Argan 
habitat.  Transects  in  May  1981  revealed  that  most 
occurred  on  upper  slopes  with  bushy  undergrowth 
(Vernon  & Chadwick  unpubl.). 

Sardinian  Warbler  Sylvia  melanocephala 
Common  resident  in  Atlantic  Morocco  including 
the  Souss,  but  uncommon  and  local  further  south 
in  the  Western  Anti-Atlas.  Also  common  in 
foothills  of  the  Western  High  Atlas  to  at  least 
1,500  m.  Occurs  in  coastal  Argan  including  open 
old  parkland  devoid  of  understorey  (Rousseau 
2000).  Inland  in  the  Souss  more  common  on 
upper  slopes  with  bushy  undergrowth,  in  which  it 
nests;  also  occasionally  nests  in  low  Argan  bushes. 

Subalpine  Warbler  Sylvia  cantillans 
Uncommon  migrant  breeder  which  reaches  the 
southern  limit  of  its  range  on  the  southern  slopes 
of  the  Western  High  Atlas,  where  regularly  record- 
ed in  open  Argan  bush,  e.g.  in  the  Tafingoult  area, 
but  proof  of  breeding  is  lacking.  Formerly  report- 
ed breeding  further  south  near  Aneja  in  the 
Western  Anti-Atlas  (Heim  de  Balsac  & Heim  de 
Balsac  1954). 

Spectacled  Warbler  Sylvia  conspicillata 
Quite  common  migrant  breeder,  mostly  in  the 
Souss,  in  open  Argan  habitat  wherever  there  are 
scattered  bushes,  especially  Ziziphus , in  which  the 
nest  is  built.  Occurs  on  rocky  slopes,  but  more 
common  in  lower  areas. 

Tristram’s  Warbler  Sylvia  deserticola 
Rare  resident  (5.  d.  maroccana , endemic  to 
Morocco).  Breeds  on  stony,  uneven  ground  in 
open  Argan  bush  in  the  Haha  and  Western  High 


Atlas.  Only  recently,  in  the  1980s,  proved  to  breed 
in  the  Western  Anti-Atlas  at  Tanalt  and  Adra 
Mqorn,  on  the  upper  slopes  with  open  Argan  bush 
(Thevenot  et  al.  2003).  The  nest  is  placed  0.3- 1.5 
m above  ground  in  a bush. 

(Western)  Bonelli’s  Warbler  Phylloscopus  bonelli 
Possible  migrant  breeder.  No  proof  of  breeding 
despite  regular  sightings  on  the  upper  slopes  with 
Argan  between  the  Souss  Valley  and  the  foothills 
of  the  Western  High  Atlas,  e.g.  near  Tafingoult 
and  Aoulouz.  Breeds  in  the  Western  High  Atlas. 

Spotted  Flycatcher  Muscicapa  striata 
Fairly  common  migrant  breeder  in  Argan  habitat 
in  the  High  Atlas  and  the  Souss.  Its  southern  limit 
is  on  the  northern  slopes  of  the  Western  Anti- 
Atlas.  A nest  3 m above  ground  in  an  Argan  tree, 
south  of  Souk  Et-Tleta  Akhssas  (at  r.29°15’N),  is 
the  southernmost  breeding  record. 

Fulvous  Babbler  Turdoides  fulva 
Uncommon  resident  ( T.  f.  maroccana , restricted  to 
Morocco  and  north-west  Algerian  Sahara).  Local 
resident  confined  to  areas  with  dense  bushes,  espe- 
cially Ziziphus  lotus.  May  become  rarer,  especially 
in  the  Souss  Valley,  as  much  undergrowth  is  being 
removed. 

Great  Tit  Par  us  major 

Fairly  common  resident  (/?  m.  excelsus , endemic  to 
North  Africa).  Widespread  in  Argan  habitat  in  the 
Haha  and  Western  High  Atlas  and  still  common 
in  the  Souss,  but  more  local  further  south  in  the 
Western  Anti-Atlas,  between  Ifni  and  Tafraout. 
Occurs  on  all  slopes  in  the  foothills  and  to  1,200 
m in  the  Anti-Atlas. 

African  Blue  Tit  Parus  [ caeruleus \ teneriffae 
Uncommon  resident  (/?  t.  ultramarinus , endemic 
to  North  Africa).  Occurs  in  Argan  woodland  in 
the  Haha,  Western  High  Atlas,  Souss  and  Western 
Anti-Atlas  as  far  south  as  Tiznit.  Common  in  the 
Souss  Valley  during  transects  in  May  1981,  but 
less  so  than  Great  Tit  (Vernon  & Chadwick 
unpubl.). 

Southern  Grey  Shrike  Lanius  meridionalis 
Common  resident  (Z.  m.  algeriensis , restricted  to 
north-west  Africa).  One  of  the  commonest  species 
throughout  the  Argan  area,  mainly  in  open  wood- 
land with  or  without  thornbush  undergrowth. 
Occurs  mainly  on  flat  lowland  areas,  with  far 


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Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  - 141 


fewer  pairs  on  lower  montane  slopes.  Nests  in 
bushes  (especially  Ziziphus)  or  Argan  trees  up  to 
c. 3 m above  ground  from  late  February,  with 
fledged  young  from  late  March. 

Woodchat  Shrike  Lanius  senator 
Common  migrant  breeder  (Z.  r.  rutilans ),  arriving 
mainly  in  April  and  nesting  from  late  April/early 
May.  Generally  more  common  throughout  the 
Argan  region  than  Southern  Grey  Shrike,  but 
mainly  nests  higher  on  lower  slopes.  Nests  gener- 
ally in  Argan  trees  up  to  5 m above  ground. 

Black-crowned  Tchagra  Tchagra  senegalus 
Uncommon  and  extremely  local  resident  (T.  s. 
cucullatus , endemic  to  north-west  Africa).  Occurs 
in  low  numbers  throughout  the  Argan  area,  from 
Tafelney  and  Haha  in  the  north  to  the  Ifni  area, 
Western  Anti-Atlas,  in  the  south.  In  the  Souss  it 
breeds  inland  east  to  Aoulouz  and  in  neighbouring 
areas  of  the  Western  High  Atlas,  but  highest  num- 
bers occur  near  the  coast,  in  thickets  near  Tamri 
and  at  the  Souss  and  Massa  estuaries. 

Common  Magpie  Pica  pica 
Common  resident  (P.  p.  mauritanica , endemic  to 
north-west  Africa)  throughout  Argan  habitat. 
Fairly  common  in  the  northern  part  of  the  Argan 
range  and  in  the  Souss  as  far  south  as  Tiznit;  more 
thinly  distributed  in  the  Western  Anti-Atlas, 
where  it  breeds  in  coastal  areas  near  Ifni  and  also 
inland  near  Tafraout;  even  more  local  in  the  Lower 
Draa.  Occurs  mainly  in  open  areas  of  Argan,  gen- 
erally with  some  thornbush  undergrowth.  Nests 
generally  in  a thorn  bush  up  to  5 m above  ground 
and  occasionally  in  Argan  trees. 

Eurasian  Jay  Garrulus  glandarius 
Rare  and  very  local  resident  (G.  g minor).  Once 
recorded  in  Argan,  in  Jbel  Hadid  in  Chiadma,  and 
occasionally  further  south  in  the  Anti-Atlas.  A 
winter  record  near  Tafraout  and  two  breeding-sea- 
son records:  a pair  in  Argan  woodland  near  Arba 
Ai't-Ahmed  in  the  upper  Massa  Valley  and  a single 
near  Souk  El  Arba  d’Assads,  both  in  May  1985 
(Thevenot  et  al.  2003). 

Common  Raven  Corvus  corax 
Fairly  common  resident  throughout  the  Argan 
range,  where  tree  nesting  likely  occurs,  although 
most  recent  breeding  records  are  on  cliffs. 


Spotless  Starling  Sturnus  unicolor 
Uncommon  to  locally  common  resident.  South  of 
the  High  Atlas  restricted  to  the  Souss,  where  com- 
mon in  the  Souss  Valley  east  to  Aoulouz  and  south 
to  Tiznit.  Probably  nests  in  holes  in  Argan  trees,  as 
it  is  often  seen  in  Argan  woodland,  but  no  proof 
as  yet. 

House  Sparrow  Passer  domesticus 
Common  resident  in  towns  and  villages  in  the 
Souss  and  has  recently  spread  south  to  Goulimine 
and  Tantan  in  the  Lower  Draa.  Occasionally  nests 
some  distance  from  human  dwellings  in  low  bush- 
es and  trees.  A colony  in  Argan  trees  in  the  Souss 
Valley  in  May  1981  (Vernon  & Chadwick 
unpubl.). 

Spanish  Sparrow  Passer  hispaniolensis 
Colonies  recorded  in  the  Souss  in  Argan  habitat, 
both  in  trees  and  in  Ziziphus  scrub,  but  nesting 
sporadic  and  numbers  have  declined  considerably 
in  many  areas  since  the  1980s.  Some  hybridisation 
with  House  Sparrow  occurs.  Winter  roosts  in 
Argania  spinosa  and  Ziziphus  lotus. 

Common  Chaffinch  Fringilla  coelebs 
Common  resident  (F  c.  africana)  throughout  the 
Argan  habitat,  especially  in  the  Souss  and  on  west- 
ern slopes  of  the  High  and  Anti-Atlas,  where  it 
reaches  its  southern  limit  in  the  Bou-Izakarn  area. 
Nest  built  in  Argan  trees,  usually  3-7  m above 
ground. 

European  Serin  Serinus  serinus 

Fairly  common  resident  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  Argan  range  and  in  the  Souss,  but  more  local 
in  the  southern  foothills  of  the  Anti-Atlas  and  in 
the  Lower  Draa.  Often  in  Argan  woodland,  but 
proof  of  nesting  there  is  lacking. 

European  Greenfinch  Carduelis  chloris 
Common  resident  (C.  c.  voousi,  endemic  to  central 
Morocco  and  Algeria)  in  Argan  habitat  through- 
out the  Haha  region,  the  southern  slopes  of  the 
Western  High  Atlas  and  in  the  Souss,  reaching  its 
southern  limit  in  the  Western  Anti-Atlas.  In  the 
Souss  one  of  the  commonest  passerines  in  Argan 
woodland,  often  more  common  on  upper  slopes. 

European  Goldfinch  Carduelis  carduelis 
Ubiquitous  and  fairly  common  resident  through- 
out the  Argan  range.  Especially  common  in  the 


142  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Argan  woodland:  an  important  bird  habitat  in  Morocco:  Vernon  et  al. 


Souss,  with  some  pairs  breeding  as  far  south  as 
Goulimine  in  the  Lower  Draa. 

Common  Linnet  Carduelis  cannabina 
Uncommon  resident  in  Argan  woodland  in  the 
Souss  Valley  east  to  Aoulouz,  but  more  common 
in  the  coastal  area.  Very  rare  further  south  in  the 
Western  Anti-Atlas. 

Trumpeter  Finch  Bucanetes  githagineus 
Common  resident  on  stony  hillsides  covered  with 
scattered  scrub  and  Argan  bush  in  the  Anti-Atlas; 
more  local  in  similar  habitat  in  the  Souss  and 
Western  High  Atlas. 

Hawfinch  Coccothraustes  coccothraustes 
Rare  resident  (C.  c.  buvryi,  endemic  to  north-west 
Africa).  Rarely  recorded  in  Argan  habitat,  but 
occurs  therein  in  the  Western  High  Atlas  valleys, 
always  near  permanent  water.  Some  breeding-sea- 
son records  further  south  in  the  Souss  and 
Western  Anti-Atlas  near  Tafraout,  but  no  nesting 
records,  except  for  one  in  a town  park  at 
Taroudant  (Thevenot  et  al.  2003). 

Rock  Bunting  Emberiza  cia 
Common  resident  in  rocky  habitats,  including 
open  Argan  bush.  Local  in  the  Souss  Valley,  where 
restricted  to  rocky  hillsides,  but  widespread  in 
small  numbers  throughout  the  Anti-Atlas. 

Cirl  Bunting  Emberiza  cirlus 
Uncommon  resident  in  open  Argan,  almost 
entirely  on  upper  slopes  with  sparse  vegetation. 
Occurs  on  the  southern  slopes  of  the  Western 
High  Atlas,  in  the  Souss,  the  Western  Anti-Atlas 
and  south  to  the  Lower  Draa.  Nest  generally 
placed  near  the  ground  in  a tussock,  occasionally 
up  to  0.6  m above  ground  in  a bush. 

Corn  Bunting  Miliaria  calandra 
Occasional  resident  in  open  Argan  parkland  under 
corn  cultivation,  but  also  at  the  edge  of  small  areas 
of  Argan  woodland  in  the  north  of  its  range  (Haha 
region  and  High  Atlas)  and  in  the  Souss,  especial- 
ly in  coastal  areas,  but  absent  from  the  Anti-Atlas 
further  south. 

Migrant  and  wintering  birds 

The  Argan  habitat  permits  many  European  birds 
to  overwinter  further  south  in  Morocco  than 
inland,  where  they  encounter  the  barriers  of  the 
desert  and  the  treeless  wastes  of  the  High  Plateaux 


(although  a few  penetrate  the  river  valleys  of  the 
Draa,  Dades  and  Ziz  to  winter  in  the  oases  there) . 
Numerous  Song  Thrushes  Turdus  philomelos , 
Blackcaps  Sylvia  atricapilla , Common  Chiffchaffs 
Phylloscopus  collybita,  European  Starlings  Sturnus 
vulgaris  and  a few  European  Robins  Erithacus 
rubecula  are  found  wintering.  Large  flocks  of 
finches  wander  in  open  Argan  woodland  where 
the  soil  has  been  cultivated,  notably  European 
Serin,  European  Greenfinch,  European  Goldfinch 
and  Common  Linnet.  Most  of  these  are 
Moroccan-bred  birds,  but  a few  originate  in 
Europe.  Numbers  vary  from  year  to  year,  depend- 
ing partially  on  weather  conditions  in  southern 
Europe  and  the  presence  or  absence  of  rains  in  the 
Argan  area  between  October  and  March.  A few 
Redwings  Turdus  iliacus , Common  Chaffinches 
Fringilla  coelebs  and,  occasionally,  Bramblings  F. 
montifringilla,  reach  Argan  woodlands  in  some 
winters,  following  cold- weather  movements  in 
Europe.  Eurasian  Siskins  Carduelis  spinus  regularly 
reach  the  Souss  during  major  irruptions  from 
Europe.  In  spring  and  autumn  European  migrants 
pass  through  the  Argan  area  en  route  to  breeding 
and  wintering  areas.  These  include  European 
Turtle  Dove,  European  Roller  Coracias  garrulus , 
European  Bee-eater  Merops  apiaster , Tree  Pipit 
Anthus  trivialis,  Whinchat  Saxicola  rubetra, 
Common  Redstart,  various  warblers,  Pied 
Flycatcher  Ficedula  hypoleuca , Eurasian  Golden 
Oriole  Oriolus  oriolus  and  Ortolan  Bunting 
Emberiza  hortulana. 

Conservation  of  the  Argan  woodland 

Vernon  (1980)  was  among  the  first  to  draw  atten- 
tion to  the  importance  of  Argan  habitat  for  birds, 
and  to  recommend  its  conservation.  Mellado 
(1989)  subsequently  pointed  out  the  importance 
of  the  Argan  ecosystem  for  reptiles,  birds  and 
mammals,  and  proposed  a detailed  assessment  of 
conservation  requirements  for  the  habitat.  Most 
recently,  Tarrier  & Benzyane  (2003)  surveyed  the 
butterfly  fauna  and  noted  that  habitat  destruction 
was  continuing.  However,  several  programmes 
promoting  the  sustainable  harvesting  of  Argan  oil 
have  been  recently  initiated  and  are  a possible 
hope  for  maintaining  the  Argan  habitat 

Emberger  (1939)  estimated  the  Argan  ecosys- 
tem to  cover  630,000  ha.  This  must  be  consider- 
ably less  today,  as  much  has  been  removed  in  the 
lowlands.  As  early  as  the  1920s,  when  Lynes  visit- 


Argan  woodland:  an  important  bird  habitat  in  Morocco:  Vernon  et  al. 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  - 143 


ed  the  Souss  region,  much  of  the  Argan  in  the 
Lower  Souss  had  been  cleared  and  replaced  by 
olive  and  citrus  groves.  This  process  has  since 
accelerated  and  the  original  ecosystem  has  lost 
50%  of  its  area  during  the  last  century  as  a result 
of  human  activities  (overgrazing  and  deforesta- 
tion) and  climatic  effects  (drought  and  desertifica- 
tion). Like  most  other  woodland  areas  in 
Morocco,  Argan  woodland  on  private  and  public 
land  is  the  responsibility  of  the  government 
(namely  the  ‘Haut  Commissariat  aux  Eaux  et 
Forets  et  a la  Lutte  contre  la  Desertification’).  Yet 
illegal  logging  is  widespread  and  Argan  woodland 
in  the  Souss  Valley  is  now  highly  fragmented.  This 
fragmentation  affects  the  survival  of  the  critically 
endangered  North  African  population  of  Dark 
Chanting  Goshawk  and  Tawny  Eagle,  both  almost 
restricted  to  the  Souss  Valley.  Although  Dark 
Chanting  Goshawk  might  already  be  extinct,  there 
is  hope  that  small  numbers  still  survive.  Surveys 
are  urgently  required  to  ascertain  the  status  of 
these  species  and  undertake  appropriate  conserva- 
tion measures. 

Acknowledgements 

We  thank  Paul  Chadwick  for  commenting  on  an  ear- 
lier draft  of  this  paper.  Paul  Chadwick,  Raymond 
Leveque,  Bryan  Sage  and  the  late  Ray  Thomas  per- 
mitted use  of  their  unpublished  notes.  Sadly,  whilst 


Captions  to  figures  on  on  this  and  opposite  pages 

Figure  1.  Argan  in  the  Haha  region,  with  Senecio  anthe- 
uphorbium,  May  2004  (P.  Bergier) 

L’arganeraie  dans  la  region  des  Haha,  avec  Senecio  anthe- 
uphorbium , mai  2004  (P.  Bergier) 

Figure  2.  Argan  under  barley  cultivation,  Souss  region, 
May  2004  (P.  Bergier) 

Culture  de  cereales  sous  Arganiers  dans  le  Souss,  mai 
2004  (P.  Bergier). 

Figure  3.  Open  Argan  forest,  Western  High  Atlas,  May 
2004  (P.  Bergier) 

Arganeraie  lache  sur  les  contreforts  du  Haut  Atlas 
Occidental,  mai  2004  (P.  Bergier) 

Figure  4.  Old  Argan  tree,  Souss-Massa  National  Park, 
May  1995  (E.  Rousseau) 

Vieil  Arganier  dans  le  Parc  national  de  Souss-Massa,  mai 
1995  (E.  Rousseau) 

Figure  5.  Open  Argan  parkland,  Souss  Valley  (P.  Bergier) 
Arganeraie  ouverte  dans  le  Souss  (P.  Bergier) 


1 


this  paper  was  at  an  advanced  stage  in  the  editorial 
process,  Rae  Vernon  passed  away.  His  many  contri- 
butions to  Moroccan  ornithology  are  remembered  by 
his  fellow  authors,  who  take  the  opportunity  to  ded- 
icate this  paper,  devoted  to  a habitat  he  dearly  loved, 
to  Rae’s  memory. 

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AEFCS  (Administration  des  Eaux  et  Forets  et  de  la 
Conservation  des  Sols)  1995b.  Plan  directeur  des 
aires  protegees  du  Maroc.  Vol.  3.  Montpellier: 
BCEOM-  SECA. 


Figure  6.  Degraded  Argan  woodland,  near  Taroudant, 
under  barley  and  with  goats,  April  1967  (R.  Vernon) 

Arganeraie  degradee  pres  de  Taroudant,  avec  culture  de 
cereales  et  chevres,  avril  1 9 67  (R.  Vernon) 

Figure  7.  Nest  and  eggs  of  Red-necked  Nightjar 
Caprimulgus  ruficollis , near  Aoulouz,  May  1981  (R.  Vernon) 
Ponte  d’Engoulevent  a collier  roux  Caprimulgus  ruficollis 
pres  d’Aoulouz,  mai  1981  (R.  Vernon) 

Figure  8.  Thekla  Lark  Galerida  theklae , singing  from  atop 
an  Argan  tree,  May  1981  (R.  Vernon) 

Cochevis  de  Thekla  Galerida  theklae  chantant  au  sommet 
d’un  Arganier,  mai  1981  (R.  Vernon) 

Figure  9.  Moussier’s  Redstart  Phoenicurus  moussieri,  wide- 
spread and  locally  common  throughout  open  Argan  habi- 
tat, December  1987  (A.  van  den  Berg) 

Le  Rougequeue  de  Moussier  Phoenicurus  moussieri  est 
largement  repandu  et  localement  commun  dans  l’argan- 
eraie,  decembre  1987  (A.  van  den  Berg) 


144  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Argan  woodland:  an  important  bird  habitat  in  Morocco:  Vernon  et  al. 


Argan  woodland:  an  important  bird  habitat  in  Morocco:  Vernon  et  al. 


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a 16  Orchid  Meadow,  Pwllmeyric,  Chepstow,  Gwent 
NP16  6HP,  UK. 

b Laboratoire  de  Biogeographie  et  Ecologie  des  Vertebres, 
Ecole  Pratique  des  Hautes  Etudes,  case  94,  Universite 
de  Montpellier  II,  34095  Montpellier  Cedex  5,  France. 
E-mail:  thevenot@univ-montp2.fr 
c4  Avenue  Folco  de  Baroncelli,  13210  Saint  Remy  de 
Provence,  France.  E-mail:  pbergier@yahoo.fr 


146  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Argan  woodland:  an  important  bird  habitat  in  Morocco:  Vernon  et  al. 


Discovery  of  Cape  Verde  Warbler  Acrocephalus  brevipermis 
on  Fogo,  Cape  Verde  Islands 

Jens  and  Heidi  Hering 


Decouverte  de  la  Rousserolle  du  Cap-Vert  Acrocephalus  brevipennis  a Fogo,  lies  du  Cap  Vert. 

En  octobre  2004,  la  Rousserolle  du  Cap-Vert  Acrocephalus  brevipennis  a ete  decouverte  a Fogo. 
Cette  espece,  qui  est  classee  comme  Menacee  d’extinction,  etait  auparavant  connue  seulement  de 
Santiago  et  Sao  Nicolau;  elle  est  consideree  comme  eteinte  a Brava.  A Fogo,  elle  se  trouvait  prin- 
cipalement  dans  des  plantations  de  cafe  avec  quelques  arbres  fruitiers,  et  egalement  dans  des  petits 
champs  de  mai's  avec  des  plants  de  cafe.  Au  total,  32  males  chanteurs  on  ete  notes;  un  individu  a 
ete  capture  et  photographie.  L’etude  etant  limitee  a des  points  d’observation,  on  peut  supposer 
que  l’espece  est  plus  repandue  sur  file.  II  est  recommande  d’organiser  des  inventaires  supplemen- 
taires,  afin  de  determiner  la  repartition  precise  de  l’espece,  ses  preferences  en  matiere  d’habitat, 
les  menaces  qui  pesent  sur  elle  et  les  actions  de  conservation  possibles. 


Cape  Verde  Warbler  Acrocephalus  brevipennis , 
an  Endangered  species  confined  to  the  Cape 
Verde  Islands,  was  until  1998  believed  to  survive 
only  on  the  island  of  Santiago  (BirdLife 
International  2004).  Historically,  it  was  also 
known  from  Sao  Nicolau  and  Brava,  where  it  was 
thought  to  be  extinct.  Rumours  of  the  warbler’s 
occurrence  on  Fogo  had  remained  unsubstantiated 
(Hazevoet  1993).  The  discovery,  in  1997,  in  the 
Centro  de  Zoologia,  Lisbon,  of  a previously  unre- 
ported specimen  taken  in  October  1970  on  Sao 
Nicolau,  where  the  species  was  last  recorded  in 
1924,  provided  new  impetus  for  a thorough  search 
of  the  island  and,  in  February  1998,  eight  territo- 
ries were  located  (Hazevoet  1999,  Hazevoet  et  al. 
1999).  Further  surveys  in  2001  and  2003  showed 
that  the  species  probably  occurred  at  only  three 
locations  (i.e.  the  same  as  those  found  in  1998), 
with  a maximum  of  ten  pairs  (Hazevoet  2003, 
Donald  et  al.  2004).  On  Brava,  where  it  was  for- 
merly scarce,  there  have  been  no  records  since 
1969  (Frade  1976,  Hazevoet  1993,  1993).  On 
Santiago,  where  the  population  is  estimated  not  to 
exceed  c.500  pairs,  the  species  is  in  decline  as  a 
result  of  habitat  loss  due  to  successive  droughts 
and  an  increasing  human  population  (Hazevoet 
1995,  BirdLife  International  2004). 

In  October  2004,  we  visited  the  Cape  Verdes 
mainly  with  the  aim  of  studying  the  distribution 
of  Cape  Verde  Warbler.  First,  however,  we  visited 
the  island  of  Fogo  to  climb  its  2,829  m-high  vol- 
cano, the  only  one  active  in  the  islands,  and  to  col- 
lect data  on  the  local  birdlife.  We  travelled  to  the 


north  of  the  island,  where  the  north-east  trade 
wind,  with  its  regularly  associated  cloud  cover,  has 
favoured  the  development  of  a fertile  area,  in  con- 
trast to  the  rest  of  the  island  which  is  extremely 
dry.  On  1 8 October,  we  started  from  the  small  vil- 
lage of  Pai  Antonio  (r.490  m a.s.l.),  from  which  a 
trail  leads  to  the  Cha  das  Caldeiras.  Noticing  that 
the  habitat,  which  consisted  mainly  of  coffee  and 
maize  plantations,  scattered  fruit  trees  and  narrow 
ravines  choked  with  shrubs,  may  be  suitable  for 
Cape  Verde  Warbler,  we  played  its  vocalisations 
from  Chappuis  (2000)  on  our  tape-recorder.  At 
the  first  attempt,  at  the  southern  extremity  of  the 
village,  we  acquired  an  immediate  response  from 
two  birds.  One  of  these  was  subsequently  trapped 
and  photographed  (Figs.  1-2). 

In  the  area  of  the  Ribeira  Pedra  Aguda  and 
Ribeira  Coxo,  we  recorded  24  males,  several  of 
which  sang  without  recourse  to  playback,  whereas 
others  sang  only  in  response  to  such  stimulation. 
In  the  latter  case,  the  birds  appeared  in  pairs;  this 
happened  ten  times  (Fig.  3).  They  occurred  at 
490-950  m in  terrain  partially  characterised  by 
small  ravines  (Fig.  4).  The  record  at  the  highest 
elevation  was  immediately  below  a forested  area. 
The  species  was  found  mainly  in  coffee  planta- 
tions with  scattered  mango,  orange,  papaya  and 
banana  trees  (Figs.  5-7).  The  birds  were,  however, 
also  observed  in  small  maize  fields  with  coffee 
bushes.  Numerous  Blackcaps  Sylvia  atricapilla  and 
a few  Spectacled  Warblers  S.  conspicillata  occurred 
in  the  same  habitats.  A Blackcap  observed  in 
Eucalyptus  forest  on  Monte  Velha  imitated  parts  of 
Cape  Verde  Warbler  song. 


Discovery  of  Cape  Verde  Warbler  on  Fogo,  Cape  Verde  Islands:  Hering  & Hering 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  - 147 


148  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Discovery  of  Cape  Verde  Warbler  on  Fogo,  Cape  Verde  Islands:  Hering  & Hering 


Further  exploration  of  the  Pai  Antonio  region, 
on  21-22  October,  to  the  edge  of  the  Ribeira 
Fonte  Gatinha  and  the  Espia  de  Baixo,  and  south- 
east to  Cutelo  Alto,  produced  more  sightings.  In 
total,  at  least  32  males  (including  at  least  1 6 pairs) 
were  recorded.  The  birds  occurred  mainly  in  cof- 
fee plantations.  It  should  be  noted  that  the  species 
was  found  in  coffee  plantations  on  Sao  Nicolau  as 
early  as  1897  (Alexander  1897).  A spot-check  c. 3 
km  further  west,  above  the  village  of  Ribeira  Ilheu, 
yielded  only  a single  singing  individual  in  a ravine 
choked  with  shrubs.  The  surrounding  area  was 
dominated  by  maize,  with  coffee  bushes  occurring 
only  very  locally.  A search  in  the  north-west,  near 
Fontafnhas,  produced  no  sightings.  It  can,  howev- 
er, be  assumed  that  Cape  Verde  Warbler  also 
occurs  in  the  well-vegetated  northern  part  of  Fogo. 

The  discovery  of  Cape  Verde  Warbler  on  Fogo 
offers  further  possibilities  for  the  continued  survival 
of  this  species.  Our  results,  which  due  to  the  limit- 
ed time  available,  were  based  only  on  spot-checks, 
provide  a good  reason  for  further  studies  of  the 
species,  above  all  of  its  distribution,  habitat  require- 
ments, threats  and  possible  conservation  measures. 

Acknowledgements 

We  are  grateful  to  Dr  S.  Eck,  Prof.  Dr  J.  Martens  and 
R.  Bohme  for  the  provision  of  hard-to-obtain  litera- 


Captions  to  figures  on  opposite  page 

Figures  1-2.  Cape  Verde  Warbler  / Rousserolle  du  Cap- 
Vert  Acrocephalus  brevipennis , Fogo,  18  October  2004 
(J.  Hering) 

Figure  3.  Two  Cape  Verde  Warblers  Acrocephalus  bre- 
vipennis, reacting  to  taped  calls,  in  a coffee  plantation, 
Fogo,  18  October  2004  (J.  Hering) 

Deux  Rousserolles  du  Cap-Vert  Acrocephalus  brevipennis 
dans  une  plantation  de  cafe,  reagissant  a la  repasse  de 
leurs  vocalisations,  Fogo,  18  octobre  2004  (J.  Hering) 

Figure  4.  A view  of  the  area  in  the  north  of  Fogo  where 
Cape  Verde  Warblers  Acrocephalus  brevipennis  were 
found,  18  October  2004  (J.  Hering) 

La  zone  dans  le  nord  de  Fogo  oil  les  Rousserolles  du 
Cap-Vert  Acrocephalus  brevipennis  ont  ete  decouvertes,  18 
octobre  2004  (J.  Hering) 

Figures  5-7.  Views  of  the  habitat  near  Pai  Antonio,  21 
October  2004  (J.  Hering) 

L’habitat  pres  de  Pai  Antonio,  21  octobre  2004 
G-  Hering) 

Figure  8.  Cape  Verde  Warbler  / Rousserolle  du  Cap- Vert 
Acrocephalus  brevipennis  (J.  Hering) 


ture  and  recordings.  We  also  thank  Dr  S.  Hille  for 
checking  the  manuscript,  Jurgen  Steudtner  for  other 
help,  D.  Conlin  and  R.  Kuhn  for  assisting  us  with 
the  translation,  and  C.  J.  Hazevoet  for  his 
comments. 

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Ornithologiques  de  France  & London,  UK:  British 
Library. 

Donald,  P.  F.,  de  Ponte  Machado,  M.,  Pitta  Groz,  M.  J., 
Taylor,  R.,  Wells,  C.  E.,  Marlow,  T.  & Hille,  S. 
2004.  Status  of  the  Cape  Verde  Cane  Warbler 
Acrocephalus  brevipennis  on  Sao  Nicolau,  with  notes 
on  song,  breeding  behaviour  and  threats.  Malimbus 

26:  34-37. 

Frade,  F.  1976.  Aves  do  arquipelago  de  Cabo  Verde 
(Colec^ao  do  Centro  de  Zoologia  da  J.I.C.U.). 
Garcia  de  Orta  (Ser.  Zool.)  5:  47- 58. 

Hazevoet,  C.  J.  1993.  On  the  history  and  type  speci- 
mens of  the  Cape  Verde  Cane  Warbler  Acrocephalus 
brevipennis  (Keulemans,  1866)  (Aves,  Sylviidae). 
Bijdragen  tot  de  Dierkunde  62:  249-253. 

Hazevoet,  C.  J.  1995.  The  Birds  of  the  Cape  Verde 
Islands:  An  Annotated  Check-list.  BOU  Check-list 
13.  Tring:  British  Ornithologists’  Union. 

Hazevoet,  C.  J.  1999.  Notes  on  birds  from  the  Cape 
Verde  Islands  in  the  collection  of  the  Centro  de 
Zoologia,  Lisbon,  with  comments  on  taxonomy 
and  distribution.  Bull.  Br.  Ornithol.  Club  119: 
25-31. 

Hazevoet,  C.  J.  2003.  Fifth  report  on  birds  from  the 
Cape  Verde  Islands,  including  records  of  15  taxa 
new  to  the  archipelago.  Arq.  Mus.  Bocage,  Nov.  Ser. 
3:  503-528. 

Hazevoet,  C.  J.,  Monteiro,  L.  R.  & Ratcliffe,  N.  1999. 
Rediscovery  of  the  Cape  Verde  Cane  Warbler 
Acrocephalus  brevipennis  on  Sao  Nicolau  in 
February  1998.  Bull.  Br.  Ornithol.  Club  119: 
68-71. 

Wolkenburger  Strafe  II,  D-09212  Limbach- 
Oberfrohna,  Germany.  E-mail:  jenshering.vso-bibliothek@ 
t-online.de 


Discovery  of  Cape  Verde  Warbler  on  Fogo,  Cape  Verde  Islands:  Hering  & Hering 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  - 149 


Status  of  Beaudouin’s  Circaetus  beaudouini  and  Short-toed 
Snake  Eagles  C.  gallicus  in  Kenya 

William  S.  Clarka,  David  Fisher Brian  Finch0,  Bernd  de  Bruijn ^ and  Itai  Shanie 

Statut  du  Circaete  de  Beaudouin  Circaetus  beaudouini  et  du  Circaete  Jean-le-Blanc  C.  gallicus 
au  Kenya.  Les  auteurs  rapportent  des  observations  du  Circaete  de  Beaudouin  Circaetus  beaudoui- 
ni et  du  Circaete  Jean-le-Blanc  C.  gallicus  faites  en  1999-2004  au  Kenya  et  supportees  par  des 
photos.  Ces  observations  indiquent  que  les  deux  especes  visitent  le  Kenya  en  petit  nombre  pen- 
dant la  periode  octobre-avril.  Les  observations  d’un  Circaete  de  Beaudouin  adulte  observe  le  21 
janvier  2001  pres  de  Mungatsi  et  d’un  Circaete  Jean-le-Blanc  adulte  vu  le  2 fevrier  2002  dans  le 
Parc  national  de  Tsavo  Est  sont  les  premieres  mentions  pour  le  Kenya  acceptees  par  le  Comite 
d’Homologation  Est  Africain. 


Beaudouin’s  Snake  Eagle  Circaetus  beaudouini 
and  Short-toed  Snake  Eagle  C.  gallicus  are  not 
known  to  occur  regularly  in  Kenya.  Although 
Brown  (1974)  considered  Beaudouin’s  ‘not 
uncommon’  in  Nyanza  in  the  1950s,  he  confused 
second-plumage  Black-breasted  Snake  Eagles  C. 
pectoralis  with  adults  of  both  Beaudouin’s  and 
Short-toed  (Clark  1999).  Lewis  & Pomeroy 
(1989)  mention  that  Beaudouin’s  is  ‘regular  in 
small  numbers  at  Ukwala  and  Lake  Kanyaboli  in 
the  far  west,  with  wanderers  south-east  to  Tsavo 
East  in  November  and  February,  and  to  Mwea, 
thus  repeating  information  in  Britton  (1980). 
However,  these  sightings  were  questioned  by 
Zimmerman  et  al.  (1996),  who  correctly  state  that 
there  are  no  specimens,  photographs  or  docu- 
mented sight  records  of  either  taxon  for  the  coun- 
try, except  a specimen  of  what  was  believed  to  be 
a Short-toed  Snake  Eagle,  collected  on  27  October 
1958  at  Lake  Turkana  (Owre  & Paulson  1968; 
date  erroneously  given  as  27  October  1988  by 
Zimmerman  et  al.  1996).  This  was  long  accepted 
as  the  only  certain  record  of  gallicus  in  Kenya  until 
Clark  & Paulson  (2002)  proved  it  to  be  a second- 
plumage  Black-breasted  Snake  Eagle  C.  pectoralis. 
Stevenson  & Fanshawe  (2002)  treat  Beaudouin’s 
and  Short-toed  as  a single  species  and,  without  dif- 
ferentiating, show  two  occurrences  on  their  range 
map  in  Kenya.  Maps  in  other  reference  works  (e.g. 
Kemp  & Kemp  1998,  Sinclair  & Ryan  2003)  do 
not  suggest  either  species  occurs  in  Kenya.  Brown 
et  al.  ( 1 982)  and  Orta  and  Kemp  in  del  Hoyo  et 
al.  (1994)  give  the  range  of  Beaudouin’s  as  extend- 
ing into  central  Kenya  and  barely  into  northern 
Kenya,  respectively,  but  do  not  show  the  range  of 
Short-toed  as  reaching  Kenya.  Ferguson-Lees  & 


Christie  (2001)  show  the  range  of  Beaudouin’s  as 
extending  from  West  Africa  east  only  to  the 
Chad-Sudan  border  and  mention  that  its  occur- 
rence in  Kenya  is  uncertain,  and  restrict  the  range 
of  Short-toed  in  Kenya  to  around  Lake  Turkana, 
doubtless  based  on  the  Owre  & Paulson  (1968) 
specimen  mentioned  above.  Thus  it  is  with  great 
interest  that  we  report  on  several  recent  sightings, 
including  photographs,  of  these  two  species  in 
Kenya. 

Beaudouin’s  Snake  Eagle 

DF  observed  an  adult  Beaudouin’s  in  western 
Kenya,  on  route  C31  near  Mungatsi  on  21 
January  2001;  a poor-quality  photo  of  the  bird 
confirmed  its  identification.  He  had  seen  the  same 
or  a similar  adult  in  approximately  the  same  place 
in  January  1999  and  2000.  These  sightings  have 
been  accepted  by  the  East  African  Rarities 
Committee  (EARC)  as  the  first  for  Kenya.  BF  and 
IS  described  well  an  adult  Beaudouin’s  from  route 
C31  c. 2 km  from  Munami,  west  of  Mumias,  on 
21  January  2003,  not  far  from  the  location  of  DF’s 
sightings.  BdB  sighted  a juvenile  Beaudouin’s 
Snake  Eagle  in  Tsavo  West  National  Park  on  31 
December  2002  near  Ngulia  Lodge.  His  descrip- 
tion accords  well  with  the  juvenile  depicted  in  Fig. 
2.  WSC  photographed  an  adult  on  route  B1  c.  5 
km  east  of  Awasi  on  21  January  2004  (Fig.  1)  and 
photographed  a juvenile  in  the  Trans-Mara  section 
of  the  Masai  Mara  National  Reserve  c.  12  km  south 
of  the  Kitchwa  Tembo  camp  the  following  day 
(Fig.  2). 


150  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Status  of  Beaudouins  and  Short-toed  Snake  Eagles  in  Kenya:  Clark  et  al. 


Short-toed  Snake  Eagle 

DF  observed  an  adult  Short-toed  Snake  Eagle  on 
2 February  2002  c.  11  km  east  of  Aruba  Dam  in 
Tsavo  East  National  Park.  Descriptions  and  a 
poor-quality  photograph  of  the  bird  clearly  show 
the  field  marks  described  in  Clark  (2000)  that 
identify  it  as  a Short-toed.  The  sighting  has  been 
accepted  by  the  EARC  as  the  first  for  Kenya. 
Subsequently,  IS  and  WSC  saw  a Short-toed  c. 25 
km  east  of  Lokochogio,  on  29  January  2004,  and 
Clark  photographed  it  in  flight  (Fig.  3). 

One  of  the  problems  in  clarifying  the  status  of 
these  two  species  in  Kenya  (and  elsewhere)  had 
been  their  lumping  into  a single  species,  which 
also  included  Black-breasted  Snake  Eagle.  For 
instance,  Dowsett  (1993),  using  Lewis  & Pomeroy 
(1989)  as  his  principal  reference,  listed  the  three 
snake  eagles  as  ‘resident/ vagrant’  under  ‘Short- 
toed Eagle  Circaetus  gallicus . Clark  (1999) 
demonstrated  why  the  lumping  of  these  three  sim- 
ilar snake  eagles  was  incorrect.  Nevertheless, 
Stevenson  & Fanshawe  (2002)  followed 
Zimmerman  et  al.  (1996)  in  lumping  Beaudouin’s 
and  Short-toed,  but  treated  Black-breasted  as  a 
separate  species.  Determining  their  status  had  also 
been  hampered  by  the  lack  of  published  definitive 
Field  marks  to  separate  them.  Clark  (2000) 
addressed  this  problem;  many  of  the  field  marks 
he  drew  attention  to  were  used  in  the  above 
identifications. 

Our  records  document  that  both  Beaudouin’s 
and  Short-toed  Snake  Eagles  occur  in  Kenya  in 
small  numbers  during  the  northern  winter 
(October-April).  We  urge  observers  to  use  the 
field  marks  presented  by  Clark  (2000)  to  distin- 
guish the  different  snake  eagles  in  order  to  better 
understand  their  distribution  in  Africa. 

References 

Britton,  P.  L.  (ed.)  1980.  Birds  of  East  Africa:  Their 

Habitat,  Status  and  Distribution.  Nairobi:  East  Afr. 

Nat.  Hist.  Soc. 

Brown,  L.  H.  1974.  The  races  of  the  European  Snake 

Eagle.  Bull.  Br.  Ornithol.  Club  94:  126-128. 


Brown,  L.  H.,  Urban,  E.  K.  & Newman,  K.  (eds.) 
1982.  The  Birds  of  Africa.  Vol.  1.  London,  UK: 
Academic  Press. 

Clark,  W.  S.  1999.  Plumage  differences  and  taxonomic 
status  of  three  similar  Circaetus  snake-eagles.  Bull. 
Br.  Ornithol.  Club  119:  56-59. 

Clark,  W.  S.  2000.  Field  identification  of  Beaudouin’s 
Snake  Eagle  Circaetus  {gallicus ) beaudouini.  Bull. 
ABC  7:13-17. 

Clark.  W.  S.  & Paulson,  D.  R.  2002.  Specimen  record 
of  Short-toed  Snake  Eagle  for  Kenya  is  invalid.  Bull. 
Br.  Ornithol.  Club  122:  156-157. 

Dowsett,  R.  J.  1993.  Afrotropical  avifaunas:  annotated 
country  lists.  Kenya.  Tauraco  Res.  Rep.  5:  227-236. 
del  Hoyo,  J.,  Elliott,  A.  & Sargatal,  J.  (eds.)  1994. 
Handbook  of  the  Birds  of  the  World.  Vol.  2. 
Barcelona:  Lynx  Edicions. 

Ferguson-Lees,  J.  & Christie,  D.  A.  2001.  Raptors  of  the 
World.  London,  UK:  Christopher  Helm. 

Kemp,  A.  & Kemp,  M.  1998.  Birds  of  Prey  of  Africa  and 
Its  Islands.  London,  UK:  New  Holland. 

Lewis,  A.  & Pomeroy,  D.  1989.  A Bird  Atlas  of  Kenya. 
Rotterdam:  A.  A.  Balkema. 

Owre,  O.  T.  & Paulson,  D.  R.  1968.  Records  of 
Falconiformes  from  the  Lake  Rudolf  area,  Kenya. 
Bull.  Br.  Ornithol.  Club  88:  151-152. 

Sinclair,  I.  & Ryan,  P.  2003.  A Field  Guide  to  the' Birds 
South  of  the  Sahara.  Cape  Town:  Struik. 

Stevenson,  T.  & Fanshawe,  J.  2002.  A Field  Guide  to  the 
Birds  of  East  Africa.  London,  UK:  T.  & A.  D. 
Poyser. 

Zimmerman,  D.  A.,  Turner,  D.  A.  & Pearson,  D.  J. 
1996.  Birds  of  Kenya  and  Northern  Tanzania. 
London,  UK:  Christopher  Helm. 

a2301  S.  Whitehouse  Circle,  Harlingen,  TX  78550 
USA. 

b56  Western  Way,  Sandy,  Bedfordshire,  SGI 9 1DU, 
UK. 

cPO  Box  15568,  Nairobi,  Kenya. 

ddo  Vogelbescherming  Nederland,  PO  Box  925,  3700 

AX  Zeist,  Netherlands. 

ePO  Box  47419,  Nairobi,  Kenya. 


Status  of  Beaudouin’s  and  Short-toed  Snake  Eagles  in  Kenya:  Clark  et  al. 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) -151 


1 


3 


Figure  1 . Adult  Beaudouin’s  Snake  Eagle  Circaetus  beau- 
douini , near  Awasi,  Kenya,  21  January  2004  (W.  S. 
Clark).  Identified  by  the  fine  dark  barring  on  the  flanks. 

Circaete  de  Beaudouin  Circaetus  beaudouini  adulte,  envi- 
rons de  Awasi,  Kenya,  21  janvier  2004  (W.  S.  Clark). 
Identifie  par  les  flancs  finement  barres  de  sombre. 

Figure  2.  Juvenile  Beaudouin’s  Snake  Eagle  Circaetus 
beaudouini , Masai  Mara  National  Reserve,  Kenya,  22 
January  2004  (W.  S.  Clark).  Distinguished  from  juvenile 
Black-breasted  Snake  Eagle  C.  pectoralis  by  darkish 
brown  (not  rufous)  underparts  and  underwing-coverts, 
and  paler  undersides  to  the  secondaries. 

Circaete  de  Beaudouin  Circaetus  beaudouini  juvenile, 
Masai  Mara  National  Reserve,  Kenya,  22  janvier  2004 
(W.  S.  Clark).  Se  distingue  du  juvenile  du  Circaete  a 
poitrine  noire  C.  pectoralis  par  les  parties  inferieures  et  les 
couvertures  sous-alaires  brun  sombre  (et  non  rousses),  et 
le  dessous  des  remiges  secondaires  plus  pale. 

Figure  3.  Adult  Short- toed  Snake  Eagle  Circaetus  gallicus, 
Lokochogio  area,  Kenya,  29  January  2004  (W.  S.  Clark). 
Differs  from  other  snake  eagles  by  the  heavily  marked 
underwing-coverts  and  lack  of  a broad  dark  terminal 
band  on  the  secondaries. 

Circaete  Jean-le-Blanc  Circaetus  gallicus  adulte,  zone  de 
Lokochogio,  Kenya,  29  janvier  2004  (W.  S.  Clark). 
Differe  des  autres  circaetes  par  les  couvertures  sous-alaires 
bien  marquees  de  barres  sombres  et  l’absence  s’une  bande 
terminale  sombre  sur  les  remiges  secondaires. 


152  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Status  of  Beaudouins  and  Short-toed  Snake  Eagles  in  Kenya:  Clark  et  al. 


Spectacled  Warbler  Sylvia  conspicillata  in  Mauritania: 
first  breeding  records 

Heiko  Schmaljohann  and  Volker  Salewski 

La  Fauvette  a lunettes  Sylvia  conspicillata  en  Mauritania  les  donnees  de  nidification  les  plus 
meridionales.  Des  nouveaux  sites  de  nidification  de  la  Fauvette  a lunettes  Sylvia  conspicillata  ont 
ete  trouves  dans  la  region  d'Adrar  en  Mauritanie  au  printemps  de  2004.  Ceux-ci  constituent  la 
premiere  preuve  de  nidification  pour  le  pays  et  les  nidifications  les  plus  meridionales  en  Afrique 
continentale.  Au  moins  quatre  nichees  ont  ete  observees  dans  les  oasis  d' Ouadane  et  de  Tenlaba. 
Un  nid  avec  des  oisillons  a ete  decouvert  le  12  mars  et  des  jeunes  quittant  le  nid  ont  ete  vus  le  25 
mars,  ce  qui  indique  que  la  ponte  avait  commence  aux  environs  de  la  mi-fevrier. 


Spectacled  Warbler  Sylvia  conspicillata  breeds  in 
the  Mediterranean  basin  and  North  Africa  (5. 
c.  conspicillata)  and  on  the  north-east  Atlantic 
islands  of  Madeira,  the  Canaries  and  Cape  Verdes 
(S.  c.  orbitalis)  (Cramp  1992,  Urban  et  al.  1997, 
Shirihai  et  al.  2001).  In  north-west  Africa  its 


breeding  range  extends  from  Morocco  to  north- 
west Libya.  The  species  winters  slightly  to  the 
south  of  the  breeding  range,  with  pockets  further 
south,  in  coastal  south-west  Mauritania,  north- 
west Senegal  and  northern  Niger  (Newby  et  al. 
1987,  Lamarche  1988,  Rodwell  et  al.  1996, 


Figure  1.  Young  Spectacled  Warbler  Sylvia  consipicillata , showing  juvenile  body  feathers  with  typical  loose  texture  due 
to  fewer  and  more  spaced  barbs,  fresh  primaries  and  growth  bars  in  the  tail,  16  March  2004,  Ouadane,  Mauritania  (V. 
Salewski) 

Jeune  Fauvette  a lunettes  Sylvia  conspicillata.  Notez  les  tectrices  juveniles  a la  texture  lache  due  aux  barbes  moins  nom- 
breuses  et  plus  espacees,  les  primaires  fraiches  et  les  barres  de  croissance  sur  la  queue,  16  mars  2004,  Ouadane,  Mauritanie 
(V.  Salewski) 


Spectacled  Warbler  in  Mauritania:  Schmaljohann  & Salewski 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  - 153 


Borrow  & Demey  2001,  Shirihai  et  al.  2001). 
Isolated  records  have  been  reported  from  coastal 
Gambia  and  central  Mali  (Barlow  et  al.  1997, 
Dowsett  & Dowsett-Lemaire  2005).  Several 
authors  have  also  reported  the  species  from  oases 
in  central  Mauritania  such  as  Ouadane  (Valverde 
1957,  Heim  de  Balsac  & Mayaud  1962,  Lamarche 
1988,  Salewski  et  al.  2005). 

On  3 June  1955  Valverde  (1957)  observed  a 
solitary  juvenile  at  Aagueidat  el  Gaselan  (25°50’N 
12°55’W),  in  the  Zemmour  region,  which  covers 
part  of  Mauritania  and  the  extreme  south-east  of 
the  former  Rio  de  Oro  region  (modern-day  West 
Saharan  Morocco),  and  thought  it  might  have 
hatched  in  the  area.  Heim  de  Balsac  & Mayaud 
(1962)  recorded  displaying  pairs  of  Spectacled 
Warbler  in  the  same  region,  in  mid-February,  and 
stated  that  in  all  likelihood  two  pairs  were  success- 
ful, but  proof  was  lacking.  In  sum,  despite  these 
observations  no  actual  evidence  of  breeding  by 
Spectacled  Warblers  exists  for  Mauritania,  hence 
occurrence  in  the  Zemmour  region  was  only  indi- 
cated by  a question  mark  on  the  distribution  map 
in  Shirihai  et  al.  (2001),  and  is  not  marked  at  all 
in  Cramp  (1992).  According  to  Thevenot  et  al. 
(2003),  breeding  occurred  in  the  Saquiat  Al- 
Hamra,  close  to  Layoune  (27°09’N  13°12’W),  this 
referring  to  Valverde’s  (1957)  observations  at 
Aium  c. 22  km  from  the  coast.  According  to  the 
last-named  author  males  were  singing  there  during 
mid  to  late-May  1955,  but  neither  a nest  nor 
unfledged  juveniles  were  found.  Thus,  we  con- 
clude that  the  clutch  of  five  well-grown  juveniles 
in  Goulimine  (28°56’N  10°04’W),  in  the  Lower 
Draa,  on  14  March  1952,  is  the  southernmost 
confirmed  breeding  site  of  Spectacled  Warblers  in 
Africa  (Bannerman  & Bannerman  1953). 

In  February-May  2004,  the  Swiss 
Ornithological  Institute  carried  out  intensive 
ornithological  observations  at  two  oases  in  the 
Adrar  region  of  Mauritania,  c.500  km  from  the 
Atlantic  coast.  Mist-netting  was  undertaken  on  16 
March-8  May  at  Tenlaba  (20°59’N  1 l°4l’W)  in  a 
date  palm  Phoenix  reclinata  plantation  and  ripari- 
an vegetation,  and  on  7 March-8  May  at  Ouadane 
(20°54’N  1 1°35’W)  in  Acacia  tortilis  / Balanites 
aegyptiaca  woodland.  Additionally,  daily  counts 
were  made  throughout  the  ringing  period  along  a 
line  transect  of  1 km,  situated  c. 2 km  north-east  of 
Ouadane.  The  ringing  sites  were  c.  1 1 km  apart. 


On  9 March  an  adult  female  Spectacled 
Warbler  with  a brood  patch  was  mist-netted  at 
Ouadane  and  colour-ringed.  On  19  March  the 
same  bird  was  observed  carrying  food  and  showing 
agitated  behaviour;  the  following  day  a nest  was 
found  in  the  vicinity.  The  nest  was  30  cm  above 
ground  in  a 50  cm-high  Balanites  aegyptiaca  bush 
heavily  coppiced  by  livestock.  It  contained  four 
almost  full-grown  pulli  with  remiges  emerging 
one-third  from  the  sheath.  They  left  the  nest  on 
25  March.  In  the  following  weeks  groups  of  young 
birds  were  seen  around  the  ringing  site,  but  as  the 
nestlings  were  not  marked  individually  their 
provenance  was  uncertain. 

Single  Spectacled  Warblers  were  mist-netted 
and  ringed  at  Ouadane  on  19  and  23  March,  and 
at  Tenlaba  on  4 April.  Skull  ossification  was 
incomplete,  indicating  first-year  birds  (Svensson 
1992).  Furthermore,  a group  of  three  first-years 
resembling  a family  group,  aged  by  the  soft  texture 
and  fluffy  character  of  their  body  feathers  (Jenni 
& Winkler  1994),  was  observed  regularly  near  the 
transect  at  Ouadane  between  12  and  29  March. 
Subsequently,  single  first-years  were  seen  regularly 
near  the  transect  and  the  mist-nets  until  8 May.  At 
Tenlaba  three  Spectacled  Warblers  were  seen  four 
times  between  18  and  29  March,  but  we  are 
unsure  as  to  whether  they  were  in  a family  group 
or  not.  Four  female-plumaged  birds  resembling  a 
family  group  were  observed  at  Tenlaba  on  21 
April.  These  records  suggest  that  there  were  at  least 
four  successful  broods  of  Spectacled  Warbler  in 
the  Ouadane/Tenlaba  area  in  2004:  (1)  the  mist- 
netted  first-years  at  Ouadane  on  19  and  23 
March,  (2)  the  fledglings  from  the  nest  at 
Ouadane,  (3)  the  group  of  three  first-years  at 
Ouadane  on  12-29  March,  and  (4)  the  four 
female-plumaged  birds  at  Tenlaba  on  2 1 April. 

Mean  incubation  and  nestling  periods  of 
Spectacled  Warbler  is  12-13  and  10-12  days 
respectively  (Shirihai  et  al.  2001).  In  Morocco, 
breeding  commences  progressively  later  with 
increasing  latitude.  In  the  Tafilalt  region,  eastern 
Moroccan  Sahara,  breeding  starts  as  early  as  the 
beginning  of  April  (Thevenot  et  al.  2003).  There 
is,  however,  a record  from  Goulimine,  south-west 
Morocco,  of  five  well-grown  pulli  on  14  March, 
suggesting  egg  laying  in  mid-late  February 
(Bannerman  & Bannerman  1953).  As  laying  usu- 
ally takes  place  c.22-25  days  before  the  young 
leave  the  nest,  the  clutch  of  the  fledglings  which 


154  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Spectacled  Warbler  in  Mauritania:  Schmaljohann  & Salewski 


we  observed  on  12  March  must  have  been  initiat- 
ed around  mid  February.  Therefore,  breeding  was 
as  early  as  the  earliest  previous  record  on  Africa’s 
mainland  and  confirms  previous  observations. 

Given  that  no  proven  breeding  records  are 
available  from  Mauritania,  our  observations  are 
the  southernmost  breeding  records  on  the  African 
mainland  and  the  first  for  Mauritania.  Ouadane  is 
situated  c.800  km  south  of  the  Goulimine  region, 
from  whence  comes  the  previous  southermost 
record  (Bannerman  & Bannerman  1953). 
Interestingly,  no  breeding  records  were  obtained  in 
spring  2003  when  intensive  observations  were 
made  at  the  same  localities  at  the  same  time  of 
year.  Glutz  von  Blotzheim  & Bauer  (1991)  suspect 
breeding  by  the  Zemmour  population’  only  in 
years  after  heavy  autumnal  rains.  Autumn  2003 
brought  an  unusual  amount  of  rainfall  to  north- 
west Africa  (Swiss  Ornithological  Institute, 
unpubl.  data),  which  might  have  induced 
Spectacled  Warblers  to  breed  in  central 
Mauritania. 

Acknowledgements 

This  is  a contribution  of  the  ‘Bird  Migration  across 
the  Sahara  project  of  the  Swiss  Ornithological 
Institute.  We  thank  Erich  Bachler,  Franzi  Korner- 
Nievergelt,  Pius  Korner,  Andre  Mauley,  Adrian 
Schlageter  and  Marco  Thoma  for  observations  and 
assistance  in  the  field.  For  valuable  comments  on  the 
manuscript  we  are  most  grateful  to  Ron  Demey  and 
Guy  Kirwan. 

References 

Bannerman,  D.  & Bannerman,  J.  1953.  A second  jour- 
ney to  the  Moroccan  Sahara  (in  1952)  and  over  the 
Great  Atlas.  Ibis  95:  128-139. 

Barlow,  C.,  Wacher,  T.  & Disley,  T.  1997.  A Field  Guide 
to  the  Birds  of  The  Gambia  and  Senegal. 
Robertsbridge:  Pica  Press. 

Borrow,  N.  & Demey,  R.  2001.  Birds  of  Western  Africa. 

London,  UK:  Christopher  Helm. 

Cramp,  S.  (ed.)  1992.  The  Birds  of  the  Western 
Palearctic.  Vol.  6.  Oxford:  Oxford  University  Press. 


Dowsett,  R.  J.  & Dowsett-Lemaire,  F.  2005.  Additions 
to  the  avifauna  of  Mali.  Bull.  ABC  12:  119-124. 

Glutz  von  Blotzheim,  U.  N.  & Bauer,  K.  (eds.)  1991. 
Handbuch  der  Vogel  Mitteleuropas.  Vol.  12. 
Wiesbaden:  Aula  Verlag. 

Heim  de  Balsac,  H.  & Mayaud,  M.  1962.  Oiseaux  du 
Nord-Ouest  de  TAfrique.  Paris:  Ed.  Paul  Lechevalier. 

Jenni,  L.  & Winkler,  R.  1994.  Moult  and  Ageing  of 
European  Passerines.  London,  UK:  Academic  Press. 

Lamarche,  B.  1988.  Liste  commentee  des  oiseaux  de 
Mauritanie.  Etudes  Sahariennes  Ouest-Africaines  1: 
1-162. 

Newby,  J.,  Grettenberger,  J.  & Watkins,  J.  1987.  The 
birds  of  the  northern  Air,  Niger.  Malimbus  9:  4-16. 

Rodwell,  S.  P.,  Sauvage,  A.,  Rumsey,  S.  J.  R.  & 
Braunlich,  A.  1996.  An  annotated  check-list  of 
birds  occurring  at  the  Parc  National  des  Oiseaux  du 
Djoudj  in  Senegal,  1984-1994.  Malimbus  18: 
74-111. 

Salewski,  V.,  Schmaljohann,  H.  & Herremans,  M. 
2005.  New  bird  records  from  Mauritania. 
Malimbus  27\  19-32. 

Shirihai,  H.,  Gargallo,  G.  & Helbig,  A.  J.  2001.  Sylvia 
Warblers:  Identification,  Taxonomy  and  Phylogeny  of 
the  genus  Sylvia.  London,  UK:  Christopher  Helm. 

Svensson,  L.  1992.  Identification  Guide  to  European 
Passerines.  Fourth  edn.  Stockholm:  privately  pub- 
lished. 

Thevenot,  M.,  Vernon,  R.  & Bergier,  P.  2003.  The  Birds 
of  Morocco:  An  Annotated  Checklist.  BOU  Checklist 
No.  20.  Tring:  British  Ornithologists’  Union  & 
British  Ornithologists’  Club. 

Urban,  E.  K.,  Fry,  C.  H.  & Keith,  S.  (eds.)  1997.  The 
Birds  of  Africa.  Vol.  5.  London,  UK:  Academic 
Press. 

Valverde,  J.  A.  1957.  Aves  del  Sahara  Espahol.  Estudio 
Ecologico  del  Desierto.  Madrid:  Instit.  Estud.  Afr., 
Consejo  Superior  Investig.  Cientificas. 

Swiss  Ornithological  Institute,  6204  Sempach, 

Switzerland.  E-mails:  heiko.schmaljohann@ 

vogelwarte.  ch;  volker.  salweski @vogelwarte.  ch 


Spectacled  Warbler  in  Mauritania:  Schmaljohann  & Salewski 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  - 155 


First  record  of  Asiatic  Dowitcher  Limnodromus  semipalmatus 

for  Africa 

Dave  Deighton 

Premiere  mention  du  Becassin  d'Asie  Limnodromus  semipalmatus  pour  l'Afrique.  Un  Becassin 
d'Asie  Limnodromus  semipalmatus  a ete  decouvert  pres  de  Leeupan,  a Benoni,  en  lisiere  de 
Johannesbourg,  Afrique  du  Sud,  le  1 1 novembre  2004.  Ceci  constitue  la  premiere  donnee  pour 
l'Afrique,  l'unique  mention  precedente,  de  novembre  1966  au  Kenya,  ayant  ete  reexaminee  et 
rejetee  par  le  Comite  d' Homologation  Est  Africain.  Ce  migrateur  palearctique,  qui  est  considere 
comme  Quasi-menace,  niche  en  Siberie,  en  Mongolie  et  au  nord-est  de  la  Chine,  et  hiverne  de 
l'lnde  de  Test  et  l'Asie  du  sud-est  jusqu'en  Australie.  L'oiseau  observe  en  Afrique  du  Sud  est  reste 
dans  les  environs  de  Leeupan  jusqu'au  ler  decembre  et  a ete  vu  par  pres  d'un  millier 
d'ornithologues. 

Richard  Montinaro  and  I had  been  viewing 
waders  around  Leeupan,  in  Benoni,  on  the 
edge  of  Johannesburg,  South  Africa,  on  a weekly 
basis  since  early-September  2004.  On  1 1 
November,  at  midday,  we  spotted  a large  wader, 
feeding  close  to  some  Ruff  Philomachus  pugnax, 
which  we  initially  identified  as  a Bar-tailed  Godwit 
Limosa  lapponica , although  it  possessed  a strange 
sewing  machine-like  feeding  action,  with  rapid  ver- 
tical probing.  The  following  day,  having  consulted 
Shorebirds  (Hayman  et  al.  1986),  we  returned  to 
Leeupan  at  midday  and  found  the  bird  busily  feed- 
ing in  almost  the  same  place.  Now  equipped  with 
the  knowledge  that  godwits  never  have  an  all-black 
bill,  it  was  clear  that  the  bird  was  a dowitcher,  but 
which,  Long-billed  Limnodromus  scolopaceus  or 
Asiatic  L.  semipalmatus ? Two  phone  calls  were 
made,  to  Trevor  Hardaker  in  Cape  Town  and  Paul 
Wood  in  the  UK.  By  now  95%  convinced  that  we 
had  found  an  Asiatic  Dowitcher,  we  sent  our  pho- 
tos to  Trevor  Hardaker,  who  placed  them  on  the 
bird-net  information  service.  Within  an  hour,  both 
Richard’s  and  my  own  cell  phones  were  ringing 
non-stop.  Birders  started  to  arrive  at  Leeupan  the 
same  afternoon  and  next  day,  a Saturday,  some 
came  from  as  far  afield  as  Cape  Town. 

This  was  the  start  of  one  of  the  biggest  twitch- 
es South  Africa  has  known.  The  bird  was  seen 
daily  until  19th,  but  disappeared  next  day.  On  the 
21st  the  bird  was  resighted  at  Glenshaft  Pan,  in 
Actonville,  cA  km  from  Leeupan.  From  then  until 
1 December  the  dowitcher  fed  at  one  or  other  of 
the  two  pans  and  was  seen  by  c.  1 ,000  birdwatch- 
ers over  the  course  of  its  stay. 


First  record  of  Asiatic  Dowitcher  for  Africa:  Deighton 


Description  and  identification 

The  bird  had  overall  greyish-brown  upperparts,  a 
long,  straight  all-black  bill  with  a heavy  base  and 
blunt  tip  (swollen  laterally  on  the  upper 
mandible),  prominent  white  supercilia  meeting  at 
the  bill  base  leaving  a dark  cap,  a dark  loral  stripe 
and  long  dark  legs.  The  underparts  were  white 
with  greyish-brown  mottling  on  the  breast  and 
grey-brown  barring  on  the  flanks.  In  flight,  there 
was  a pale  band  across  the  secondaries  and  inner 
primaries,  the  rump  was  whitish  contrasting  only 
slightly  with  the  pale  grey-brown  tail  and,  in  close 
views,  the  outer  tail  feathers  appeared  barred. 
When  feeding,  it  had  a distinctive  sewing-machine 
action,  often  coming  up  with  food  in  its  bill,  mak- 
ing the  latter  appear  heavier. 

On  the  basis  of  this  combination  of  features 
the  bird  was  identified  as  an  adult  Asiatic 
Dowitcher  in  winter  plumage.  Bar-tailed  Godwit 
closely  resembles  Asiatic  Dowitcher,  but  is  larger, 
has  a slightly  upturned,  two-toned  bill,  a contrast- 
ing white  wedge  on  the  back  and  a different  feed- 
ing action.  Long-billed  Dowitcher  is  considerably 
smaller,  with  shorter,  green  or  yellowish-green  legs 
and  in  flight  a narrow  white  patch  on  the  back  and 
a sharper,  whiter  trailing  edge  to  the  wing 
(Hayman  et  al.  1986) 

Asiatic  (or  Asian)  Dowitcher  breeds  in  steppe 
regions  in  Siberia,  south  into  Mongolia  and  north- 
east China.  It  winters  from  east  India  through 
south-east  Asia,  south-east  Sumatra  and  Java  to 
north  Australia,  where  it  occurs  in  sheltered 
coastal  environments  (van  Gils  & Wiersma  1996). 
It  is  currently  listed  as  Near  Threatened,  with  a 


156  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Figures  1-2.  Asiatic  Dowitcher  / Becassin  d’Asie  Limnodromus  semipalmatus,  Leeupan,  Benoni,  November  2004  (Clive 
Kaplin) 


population  estimated  at  c.20,000  birds  (BirdLife 
International  2000,  2004).  The  only  previous 
report  in  Africa,  a sight  record  from  Lake  Nakuru, 
Kenya,  in  November  1966  (Smart  & Forbes- 
Watson  1971),  cited  in  many  authoritative  sources 
(e.g.  Urban  et  al.  1986),  was  re-evaluated  and 
rejected  by  the  East  African  Rarities  Committee 
(Zimmerman  et  al.  1996).  The  only  accepted 
dowitcher  records  on  the  African  continent  refer 
to  the  Nearctic  Long-billed  Dowitcher,  of  which  a 
few  sightings  have  been  reported  in  Morocco 
(Thevenot  et  al  2003). 

The  likelihood  of  Asiatic  Dowitcher  appearing 
in  southern  Africa,  especially  at  a locality  600  km 
inland,  seemed  very  low.  In  recent  years  other  new 
waders  have  been  found  in  southern  Africa,  the 
Great  Knot  Calidris  tenuirostris  at  West  Coast 
National  Park  in  March  2002  (Cohen  & Winter 
2003)  and  Little  Ringed  Plover  Charadrius  dubius 
in  Zimbabwe  in  January  2002  (Demey  2002),  but 
both  of  these  were  predicted  vagrants  to  the 
region,  whereas  the  Asiatic  Dowitcher  came  as  a 
complete  surprise. 

References 

BirdLife  International.  2000.  Threatened  Birds  of  the 
World.  Cambridge,  UK:  BirdLife  International  & 
Barcelona:  Lynx  Edicions. 

BirdLife  International.  2004.  Threatened  Birds  of  the 
World  2004.  CD-ROM.  Cambridge,  UK:  BirdLife 
International. 


Cohen,  C.  & Winter,  D.  2003.  Great  Knot  Calidris 
tenuirostris : a new  species  for  sub-Saharan  Africa. 
Bull.  ABC  10:  120-121. 

Demey,  R.  (compiler)  2002.  Recent  reports.  Bull.  ABC 
9:  142-152. 

van  Gils,  J.  & Wiersma,  P.  1996.  Family  Scolopacidae 
(sandpipers,  snipes  and  phalaropes).  In  del  Lloyo, 
J.,  Elliott,  A.  & Sargatal,  J.  (eds.)  Handbook  of  the 
Birds  of  the  World.  Vol.  3.  Barcelona:  Lynx  Edicions. 
Hayman,  P.,  Marchant,  J.  & Prater,  T.  1986.  Shorebirds: 
An  Identification  Guide  to  the  Waders  of  the  World. 
Beckenham:  Croom  Helm. 

Smart,  J.  B.  & Forbes- Watson,  A.  D.  1971.  Occurrence 
of  the  Asiatic  Dowitcher  in  Kenya.  East  Afr.  Nat. 
Hist.  Soc.  Bull.  1971:74-75. 

Thevenot,  M.,  Vernon,  J.  D.  R.  & Bergier,  P.  2003.  The 
Birds  of  Morocco:  An  Annotated  Checklist.  BOU 
Checklist  20.  Tring:  British  Ornithologists’  Union 
& British  Ornithologists’  Club. 

Urban,  E.  K,  Fry,  C.  H.  & Keith,  S.  (eds.)  1986.  The 
Birds  of  Africa.  Vol.  2.  London,  UK:  Academic 
Press. 

Zimmerman,  D.  A.,  Turner,  D.  A.  & Pearson,  D.  J. 
1996.  Birds  of  Kenya  and  Northern  Tanzania. 
London,  UK:  Christopher  Helm. 

TO  Box  6244,  Dunsworth  1 508,  South  Africa. 


First  record  of  Asiatic  Dowitcher  for  Africa:  Deighton 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) -157 


First  record  of  American  Golden  Plover  Pluvialis  dominica  for 
Mauritania,  and  its  status  in  western  Africa 

Heiko  Schmaljohanna  and  Marco  Thomab 

Premiere  mention  du  Pluvier  bronze  Pluvialis  dominica  pour  la  Mauritanie,  et  son  statut 
en  Afrique  de  l’Ouest.  Deux  Pluviers  bronzes  Pluvialis  dominica  ont  ete  observes  et  pho- 
tographies dans  le  Parc  national  du  Diawling,  au  sud-ouest  de  la  Mauritanie,  le  26  fevrier 
2004.  Ceci  constitue  la  premiere  donnee  pour  le  pays  et  la  19eme  pour  l’Ouest  Africain,  y 
compris  le  Maroc  (voir  Tableau  1 ) . 


On  26  February  2004,  MT  discovered  two 
dark  greyish-brown  waders  feeding  actively 
within  a loose  flock  of  Grey  Plovers  Pluvialis 
squatarola  which  they  resembled,  on  a muddy  area 
close  to  the  Senegal  River  in  the  Parc  National  du 
Diawling,  Mauritania  (16°22’N  16°25’E).  On 
three  occasions  all  of  the  birds  flew  a few  metres, 
enabling  upper-  and  underwing  patterns  to  be 
studied.  The  two  birds  were  identified  as 
American  Golden  Plovers  P.  dominica  in  winter 
plumage.  Age  could  not  be  determined,  as  no 
retained  wing-coverts  or  tertials  were  visible,  prob- 
ably due  to  the  distance.  Observations  were  made 
from  17.30  until  18.00  hrs  with  30x  telescopes 
from  a distance  of  200-230  m in  good  light.  The 
following  description  is  based  on  field  notes  and  a 
photograph  (Fig.  1). 

Description 

Size,  shape  and  general  impression.  Both  birds 
resembled  Grey  Plovers  but  appeared  smaller  and 
darker  brown.  Their  more  graceful  body  shape, 
due  to  a combination  of  relatively  long  wings, 
long-legged  appearance  and  erect  posture,  and 
their  darker  grey-brown  plumage,  made  them  easy 
to  distinguish  from  the  nearby  Grey  Plovers.  In 
flight,  their  narrower  and  longer  wings  gave  them 
an  elegant  appearance,  compared  to  the  rather 
massive  silhouette  of  Grey  Plover.  The  grey-brown 
underwings  made  them  easy  to  pick  out  from  the 
rest  of  the  flock.  They  did  not  remind  us  of 
Golden  Plovers  P.  apricaria , as  the  upperparts  were 
brown  with  just  a faint  yellow  cast,  lacking  any 
pure  golden  or  yellow  colours. 

Head.  The  dark  grey-brown  crown  contrasted  with 
the  brighter  forehead  and  hindneck  and  the  con- 
spicuous broad  white  supercilium,  which  recalled 
Eurasian  Dotterel  Charadrius  morinellus.  The  area 


around  the  bill  base  was  white.  The  lores  and  ear- 
coverts  were  black  to  dark  grey-brown.  The  plain 
nape  was  slightly  paler  than  the  lores  and  ear- 
coverts.  The  hindneck  colour  was  intermediate 
between  those  of  the  crown  and  forehead.  The  chin 
was  the  same  pale  grey-brown  as  the  forehead.  The 
birds  therefore  appeared  grey-faced,  with  the  dark 
crown  producing  a capped  appearance. 

Upperparts.  The  pale  brown  hindneck  merged 
into  the  slightly  darker  but  equally  uniform  man- 
tle. The  back,  rump,  tail  and  upperwings  were  as 
dark  grey-brown  as  the  crown,  thus  much  darker 
than  in  the  accompanying  Grey  Plovers,  but  with 
a yellow  cast.  The  centres  of  the  scapulars  were 
dark  brown  with  reddish-brown  fringes;  the  wing- 
coverts  were  dark  brown  with  paler  brown  fringes. 
No  warm  yellow  tones  were  visible  on  the  upper- 
parts. 

Underparts.  The  grey-brown  throat  and  breast 
were  darker  than  the  rest  of  the  underside.  The 
flanks  were  also  grey-brown,  but  seemed  weakly 
streaked  rather  than  plain,  giving  them  a paler 
appearance.  Belly  and  undertail-coverts  were  clean 
white.  Compared  with  the  Grey  Plovers  the  entire 
underpays  were  darker.  The  difference  in  flank 
colour  was  especially  conspicuous:  white  in  Grey 
Plovers  versus  grey-brown  in  American  Golden 
Plover. 

Upperwing.  In  flight,  only  a slight  pale  wingbar  at 
the  base  of  the  primaries  could  be  observed  on  the 
otherwise  very  dark  upperwing.  The  secondary- 
coverts  appeared  brighter  than  the  ‘hand’  due  to 
the  pale  brown  fringes  to  the  coverts.  At  rest,  the 
birds  clearly  showed  3-4  primaries  projecting 
beyond  the  tail.  The  tertials  appeared  to  leave  sev- 
eral primaries  uncovered  and  ended  well  before 
the  tail  tip. 


158  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


First  record  of  American  Golden  Plover  for  Mauritania:  Schmaljohann  & Thoma 


Table  1.  Records  of  American  Golden  Plover  Pluvialis  dominica  in  western  Africa,  including  Morocco,  from  north  to  south. 


Tableau  1.  Mentions  du  Pluvier  bronze  Pluvialis  dominica  en  Afrique  de  I’Ouest,  y compris  le  Maroc,  du  nord  vers  le  sud. 


Country  / Pays 

Locality  / Localite 

Date 

Reference  / Reference 

Morocco 

Souss  estuary 

24-25  April  1997 

Thevenot  et  al.  (2003) 

Souss  estuary 

16-17  May  1999 

Thevenot  et  al.  (2003) 

Mauritania 

PN  du  Diawling 

26  February  2004 

This  paper 

Senegal 

Lac  de  Guier 

28  May  1979 

Morel  & Morel  (1990) 

Gambia 

Fajara,  Western  Div. 

15  January  1984 

Gore  (1990) 

Cape  Verde  Islands 

Sao  Vicente 

6 January  1924 

Bannerman  & Bannerman  (1968) 

Sao  Vicente 

18  February  1966 

Bannerman  & Bannerman  (1968) 

Santo  Antao 

26  October  1972 

Hazevoet  (1995) 

Santiago 

5 March  1997 

Hazevoet  (1998) 

Sao  Vicente 

22  January-20  April  1999 

Hazevoet  (1999) 

Sao  Vicente 

14  April  2001 

Hazevoet  (2003) 

Sao  Vicente 

14  November  2001 

Hazevoet  (2003) 

Sierra  Leone 

Freetown 

6-12  November  1973 

Field  (1974) 

Liberia 

Zwedru 

11-24  December  1981 

Gatter  (1997) 

Zwedru 

8 February-24  March  1983 

Gatter  (1997) 

Cote  d’Ivoire 

Dabou/Adiopodoume 

17  December  1988-2  March  1989 

Fishpool  & Demey  (1991) 

Dabou 

14  October  1989 

Fishpool  & Demey  (1991) 

Togo 

Lome 

19  October  1985 

Cheke&  Walsh  (1996) 

Sao  Tome 

Airport 

November  1954 

Frade  & Vieria  dos  Santos  (1977), 
Christy  & Clarke  (1998) 

Underwing.  In  flight,  the  underwings  and  axillar- 
ies  were  less  dark  than  the  upperwing,  but 
appeared  slightly  darker  than  the  flanks.  The  pri- 
mary- and  secondary-coverts  were  concolorous 
grey.  The  uncovered  area  around  the  primaries  and 
secondaries  shafts  was  pale  grey  to  white.  As  the 
outer  primaries  and  secondaries  were  darker  than 
the  underwing-coverts,  a narrow  whitish  wingbar 
was  visible. 

Bare  parts.  Eyes  and  bill  black.  The  bill  was 
noticeably  shorter,  thinner  and  rather  more  paral- 
lel than  in  Grey  Plover,  thus  lacking  the  bulbous 
tip  typical  of  the  latter.  Leg  colour  was  difficult  to 
ascertain,  as  only  a small  part  of  the  tibia  was  not 
covered  in  mud,  but  appeared  dark  grey.  Although 
the  birds  seemed  long-legged,  the  feet  did  not 
project  beyond  the  tail  in  flight. 

The  birds’  dark  grey-brown  plumage,  lacking 
any  pure  golden  or  yellow  tones,  attenuated  rear 
with  a long  primary  projection  and  3-4  primaries 
projecting  beyond  the  tail,  the  tertials  ending  well 
before  the  tail  tip,  the  contrasting  grey  face  pattern 
and  striking  white  supercilium,  and  fine  bill  dis- 
tinguished them  from  Pacific  Golden  Plover  P. 
fulva  (Alstrom  et  al.  1991,  Svensson  et  al.  1999, 
Borrow  & Demey  2001).  Recently,  Johnson  & 
Johnson  (2004)  pointed  out  the  only  absolutely 
reliable  characters  to  separate  the  two  species  in 


non-breeding  plumage.  In  contrast  to  the  rather 
short  primary  projection  of  Pacific  Golden  Plover, 
the  long  primary  projection  in  American  Golden 
Plover  should  reach  beyond  the  tail  by  12-22  mm 
and  leave  4-3  primaries  exposed  beyond  the 
longest  tertial,  as  applied  in  the  present  case. 

Discussion 

American  Golden  Plover  breeds  in  the  arctic 
tundra  of  northern  North  America  from  Alaska 
east  to  Baffin  Island.  It  winters  in  South 
America  from  Bolivia  south  to  Patagonia,  where 
adults  taking  the  western  flyway  arrive  around 
late  August  to  early  September.  First-year  birds 
move  through  interior  North  America  and 
reach  the  wintering  grounds  in  October.  Birds 
usually  leave  South  America  in  February/March 
and  arrive  at  the  breeding  areas  in  late 
May-June  (Hayman  et  al.  1986,  Snow  & 
Perrins  1998). 

Pym  (1982),  Roselaar  (1990)  and  Golley  & 
Stoddart  (1991)  provided  detailed  criteria  to  dis- 
tinguish American  and  Pacific  Golden  Plovers, 
resulting  in  an  increasing  number  of  sightings  in 
Europe,  where  American  Golden  Plover  is  now  a 
frequent  vagrant  with  more  than  200  records, 
mostly  to  the  British  Isles  (e.g.  Dymond  et  al. 
1989,  Dubois  & Yesou  1991,  Mitchell  & Young 
1997).  The  same  trend,  albeit  involving  smaller 


First  record  of  American  Golden  Plover  for  Mauritania : Schmaljohann  & Thoma 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) -159 


Figure  1.  American  Golden  Plovers  Pluvialis  dominica  with  Grey  Plover  P.  squatarola  (right),  Parc  national  du 
Diawling,  Mauritania,  February  2004  (Volker  Salewski) 

Pluviers  bronzes  Pluvialis  dominica  a vec  Pluvier  argente  P.  squatarola  (a  droite),  Parc  national  du  Diawling, 
Mauritanie,  fevrier  2004  (Volker  Salewski) 


Month 


Figure  2.  Seasonal  occurrence  of  American  Golden 
Plovers  Pluvialis  dominica  in  western  Africa,  including 
Morocco.  Months  are  those  of  the  first  observation 
date. 

Presence  saisonniere  du  Pluvier  bronze  Pluvialis 
dominica  en  Afrique  de  l’Ouest,  y compris  le  Maroc. 
Les  mois  sont  ceux  de  la  premiere  date  de  l’observa- 
tion. 

numbers  can  be  observed  in  western  Africa, 
including  Morocco,  where  there  were  only  six 
records  prior  to  1982,  but  13  records  since 
(Table  1). 

Fishpool  & Demey  (1991)  reviewed  records  of 
golden  plovers,  i.e.  P.  apricaria , 7?  dominica  and  P. 
fulva,  then  known  from  West  Africa.  As  they  point 
out,  the  situation  at  that  time  was  confused  due  to 
difficulties  in  distinguishing  the  different  taxa  in 
the  field  and  because  7?  dominica  and  fulva  were 
treated  as  a single  species  (‘Lesser  Golden  Plover’). 
Several  records  of  ‘golden  plovers’  are  therefore 
now  impossible  to  assign  with  certainty  to  species. 
Table  1 lists  all  accepted  records  of  American 


Golden  Plovers  in  western  Africa,  including 
Morocco.  We  have  excluded  records  of  birds  ‘pre- 
sumed’ to  be  7?  dominica  or  considered  to  be 
‘probably’  or  ‘most  likely’  this  species.  The  latter 
include  records  from  Ghana  (4  October  1977: 
Grimes  1987),  Togo  (13  September  1989  and 
1-29  March  1990:  Cheke  & Walsh  1996)  and 
Gabon  (26  December  1987  and  3 January  1988: 
TVlexander-Marrack  1992).  ^Although  Christy  & 
Clarke  (1998)  mention  that  7?  dominica  has  been 
recorded  in  Gabon  and  even  base  the  species’ 
description  in  the  relevant  account  on  a bird 
‘observed  in  November  on  the  coast  of  Gabon’,  no 
records  from  that  country  have  been  published  to 
date. 

Records  of  American  Golden  Plovers  are  exclu- 
sively from  winter  and  periods  when  birds  are  on 
passage,  with  most  sightings  in  February  and 
October  (Fig.  2);  our  record  is  compatible  with 
these.  Four  records  of  birds  remaining  longer  than 
ten  days  at  the  same  site  are  indicative  of  overwin- 
tering in  western  Africa. 

Acknowledgements 

The  present  observation  was  made  while  conducting 
field  work  for  the  Swiss  Ornithological  Institute 
project  on  bird  migration  across  the  Sahara.  Volker 
Salweski,  Bruno  Bruderer,  Lukas  Jenni,  Lincoln 
Fishpool  and  Guy  Kirwan  made  valuable  comments 


160  - Bull  ABC  \ lot  12  No  2 (2005) 


First  record  of  American  Golden  Plover  for  Mauritania:  Schmaljohann  & Thoma 


on  the  manuscript,  Volker  Salweski  provided  photo- 
graphs, Peter  Jones  improved  our  English  and  Erich 
Bachler  accompanied  us  in  the  field.  Ron  Demey 
kindly  revised  the  draft  and  helped  with  summaris- 
ing the  records. 

References 

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aSwiss  Ornithological  Lnstitute,  6204  Sempach, 

Switzerland.  E-mail:  heiko.schmaljohann@ 

vogelwarte.  ch 

b Achgrund , 6034  Inwil,  Switzerland.  E-mail: 

thoemi  @bluemail.  ch 


First  record  of  American  Golden  Plover  for  Mauritania:  Schmaljohann  & Thoma 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  - 161 


First  records  for  Niger  of  Red-chested  Cuckoo 

Cuculus  solitarius,  Grassland  Pipit  Anthus  cinnamomeus, 

Buff-bellied  Warbler  Phyllolais  pulchella  and 
Isabelline  Shrike  Lanius  isabellinus 


Kim  Diget  Christensena , Anders  P.  Tottrup Marcel  C.  Rahnef  and  Joost  Brouwer ^ 


Premieres  mentions  pour  le  Niger  du  Coucou  solitaire  Cuculus  solitarius , du  Pipit  africain 
Anthus  cinnamomeus , du  Phyllolais  a ventre  fauve  Phyllolais  pulchella  et  de  la  Pie-grieche 
isabelle  Lanius  isabellinus.  Les  observations  de  quatre  especes  nouvelles  pour  le  Niger  sont 
documentees.  Le  chant  d’un  Coucou  solitaire  Cuculus  solitarius  a ete  clairement  entendu  en 
savane  boisee,  a environ  43  km  a l’ouest  de  Diffa  (13°12’N  12°08’E),  le  23  septembre  2003.  Le 
meme  jour,  a environ  4 km  vers  Test  (13°12’N  12°1  l’E),  deux  Phyllolais  a ventre  fauve  Phyllolais 
pulchella  ont  ete  observes.  Un  Pipit  africain  Anthus  cinnamomeus  a ete  decouvert  a environ  44  km 
au  nord-est  de  Tahoua  (13°04’N  05°38’E),  le  25  juillet  2003.  Une  Pie-grieche  isabelle  Lanius 
isabellinus  a ete  notee  le  long  de  la  route  Niamey-Tillaberi  (13°47’N  01°39’E)  en  janvier  1994; 
le  19  septembre  2003,  deux  males  ont  ete  observes  a environ  10  km  au  sud  de  Tanout  (14°54’N 
08°5LE). 


The  avifauna  of  Niger  is  still  relatively  little 
known.  Since  Giraudoux  et  aids  (1988)  sum- 
mary, few  studies  on  the  occurrence  and  distribu- 
tion of  birds  in  Niger  have  been  published.  Here, 
Giraudoux  et  al.  (1988)  was  used  as  the  main  ref- 
erence for  records  prior  to  1986;  for  post- 1986 
records,  Newby  et  al.  (1987),  Sharland  (1989), 
Holyoak  & Seddon  (1991),  Sauvage  (1993), 
Debout  et  al  (2000),  Ambagis  et  al.  (2003)  and 
Crisler  et  al.  (2003)  were  consulted.  Most  previous 
ornithological  observations  were  made  in  the 
south-west,  around  the  capital  Niamey  and  in  ‘W’ 
National  Park.  A more  systematic  study  of  Niger’s 
avifauna,  especially  in  the  east  and  north  of  the 
country,  is  therefore  likely  to  produce  new  find- 
ings. 

In  2003  KDC,  APT  and  MCR  made  observa- 
tions of  birds  in  Niger  as  a part  of  the  Projet 
Regional  de  Lutte  Integree  contre  les  Sauteriaux 
au  Sahel  (PReLISS),  funded  by  the  Danish 
International  Development  Agency  (DANIDA). 
Field  work  was  undertaken  in  three  areas:  around 
Tahoua  in  the  west-centre  of  the  country,  between 
Magaria  and  Tanout  in  the  central-south  (near 
Zinder),  and  around  Diffa  in  the  east.  Three  new 
species  for  Niger  were  discovered:  Red-chested 
Cuckoo  Cuculus  solitarius , Grassland  Pipit  Anthus 
cinnamomeus  and  Buff-bellied  Warbler  Phyllolais 
pulchella.  Isabelline  Shrike  Lanius  isabellinus  was 


also  sighted,  and  details  of  this  record  are  also  pre- 
sented, along  with  a previously  unpublished 
record  by  JB  in  1994.  These  records  are  docu- 
mented below. 

Red-chested  Cuckoo 

On  25  September  2003,  at  06.30  hrs,  a Red-chest- 
ed Cuckoo  was  heard  by  MCR  in  wooded  savan- 
na, c.43  km  west  of  Diffa  and  <7.10  km  from  the 
Komadougou-Yobe  River  (13°12’N  12°08’E;  zone 
4 in  Giraudoux  et  al.  1988).  Dense  gallery  forest 
occurs  in  places  along  this  river  and  further  south 
dense  woodland  is  widespread.  The  call  was  a 
loud,  far-carrying  WHLT  whit  weeu,  endlessly 
repeated  with  short  intervals.  The  observer  is 
familiar  with  this  distinctive  call  from  many  other 
parts  of  Africa,  as  well  as  with  vocalisations  of  all 
the  other  cuckoos  of  the  region.  No  other  cuckoo 
that  might  be  found  in  West  African  savannas  has 
a similar  call;  that  of  Black  Cuckoo  Cuculus  clam - 
osus  is  also  three-syllabled  but  quite  different  (Fry 
et  al.  1988,  Borrow  & Demey  2001). 

Red-chested  Cuckoo  is  a resident  and  intra- 
African  migrant,  visiting  wooded  savannas  in  the 
north  of  its  range  in  March-December  (Fry  et  al. 
1988,  Borrow  & Demey  2001).  The  nearest  pub- 
lished record  is  from  Potiskum  in  the  northern 
Sudan  zone  of  north-east  Nigeria  (11°45’N 
1 1°02’E)  <7.200  km  south-west  of  Diffa  (Elgood  et 
al.  1994).  In  Togo,  the  northernmost  observations 


162  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


First  records  for  Niger:  Christensen  et  al. 


are  from  gallery  forest  within  woodland  or  shrub 
savanna  (Cheke  & Walsh  1996).  It  remains  to  be 
determined  whether  the  species  regularly  occurs  in 
the  Diffa  area  or  whether  rainfall  induced  the  bird 
to  stray  further  north  than  usual. 

Grassland  Pipit 

On  25  July  2003,  a pipit  was  flushed  from  an  area 
of  agricultural  fields  and  grassland  with  a few  trees, 
c. 44  km  north-east  of  Tahoua  (15°04’N  05°38’E; 
zone  5 in  Giraudoux  et  al.  1988).  Millet  and  cow- 
pea  were  the  dominant  crops,  and  catde  and  goats 
were  present.  A rather  large  part  had  recently  been 
burned.  The  bird  flew  with  long,  deep  undulations 
before  landing,  whereupon  it  was  observed  in 
detail.  It  was  a large,  long- tailed  and  long-legged 
pipit,  with  an  upright  posture.  Crown  and  upper- 
parts  were  heavily  streaked  dark,  and  a pale  super- 
cilium  and  dark  moustachial  stripe  gave  the  head  a 
distinct  pattern.  The  underparts  were  buff,  with  dis- 
tinct streaking  restricted  to  the  chest.  The  outer  tail 
feathers  appeared  white. 

The  streaked  upperparts  exclude  Plain-backed 
Pipit  Anthus  leucophrys  and  Tawny  Pipit  A. 
campestris.  Long-billed  Pipit  A.  similis  (subspecies 
asbenaicus ),  resident  in  the  Air  Mountains  and 
Monts  Bagzans,  central  Niger  (c.350  km  northeast 
of  our  locality)  has  no  breast  spotting,  is  sandy 
buff  and  has  more  huffish  outer  tail  feathers  (Keith 
et  al.  1992).  The  bold  streaking  above  and  on  the 
chest,  and  the  striking  facial  pattern,  combined 
with  the  habitat  (recently  burnt  ground,  open 
savanna,  cultivated  areas)  leave  Grassland  Pipit 
Anthus  cinnamomeus  as  the  only  possibility 
(Borrow  & Demey  2001). 

Buff-bellied  Warbler 

On  25  September  2003,  at  08.00  hrs,  two  small 
warblers  were  seen  in  an  Acacia  tree  within  a grass- 
land area,  c.39  km  west  of  Diffa  (13°12’N 
12°1TE;  zone  4 in  Giraudoux  et  al.  1988).  They 
chased  each  other  in  the  treetop  for  several  min- 
utes. The  first  impression  was  of  a Phylloscopus- 
sized  warbler,  but  the  body  appeared  shorter  and 
more  slender,  and  the  tail  longer.  The  upperparts 
were  uniform  olive-grey,  contrasting  with  the  yel- 
lowish-buff underparts.  The  tail  had  conspicuous 
white  edges.  The  legs  appeared  pinkish. 

The  birds  were  identified  as  Buff-bellied 
Warblers;  their  size  and  shape,  and  their  white- 
edged  tail  eliminates  all  Phylloscopus , Apalis  and 


Sylvia  warblers  (Urban  et  al.  1997,  Borrow  & 
Demey  2001).  Buff-bellied  Warbler’s  range 
includes  north-east  Nigeria  and  Cameroon  and 
western  Chad  (Elgood  et  al.  1994,  Urban  et  al 
1997,  Borrow  & Demey  2001),  where  it  is  uncom- 
mon to  locally  common.  Its  discovery  in  Niger 
thus  constitutes  only  a minor  range  extension. 

Isabelline  Shrike 

On  4 January  1994,  while  a passenger  in  a car  on 
the  Niamey-Tillaberi  road,  JB  saw  a shrike  flying 
away  from  the  road  near  the  turn-off  to  the  ferry 
at  Farie  (13°47’N  01°39’E;  zone  2 in  Giraudoux  et 
al.  1988).  Clearly  visible  were  a somewhat  pale 
orange-brown  rump  and  back,  a brownish  tail, 
and  dark  wings  with  a white  bar.  These  are  charac- 
teristics of  Isabelline  Shrike  (Fry  et  al.  2000, 
Borrow  & Demey  2001).  The  white  wingbar  and 
orange-brown  rump  exclude  adult  or  young  Red- 
backed  Shrike  Lanius  collurio.  Emin’s  Shrike  L. 
gubernator  lacks  a brown  tail  and  the  upperparts  of 
the  juvenile  are  barred.  All  other  brown-backed 
shrikes  in  the  Sahel  are  grey-brown,  not  orange- 
brown.  We  conclude  that  the  bird  was  an 
Isabelline  Shrike,  the  first  for  Niger. 

On  19  September  2003,  two  male  Isabelline 
Shrikes  were  observed  foraging  in  flat,  dry  grass- 
land with  widespread  trees  and  low  bushes,  c.10 
km  south  ofTanout  (14°54’N  08°51’E;  zone  3 in 
Giraudoux  et  al.  1988).  Both  perched  atop  low 
bushes.  They  had  a distinctive  rufous  rump  and 
tail,  contrasting  with  an  evenly  dull  greyish-brown 
to  sandy  mantle  and  an  almost  unmarked  body 
(without  scaling). 

Isabelline  Shrike  is  a Palearctic  migrant  to 
Chad,  Nigeria  and  Cameroon,  with  a few  records 
from  Mauritania,  northern  Senegal,  The  Gambia, 
Mali  and  Gabon  (Fry  et  al.  2000,  Borrow  & 
Demey  2001).  Maps  in  Fry  et  al.  (2000)  and 
Borrow  & Demey  (2001)  show  the  species  as 
occurring  in  eastern  and  southern  Niger  on  migra- 
tion, although  this  appears  unsubstantiated.  The 
nearest  records  are  from  the  Sahel  zone  in  Mali 
(Lamarche  1981)  and  from  northern  Nigeria 
(Elgood  et  al.  1994) 

Acknowledgements 

Many  thanks  to  the  Danish  International 
Development  Agency  (DANIDA)  for  financing  the 
PReLISS  project.  Ron  Demey  and  Nik  Borrow  made 
helpful  comments  on  earlier  drafts. 


First  records  for  Niger:  Christensen  et  al. 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  - 163 


References 

Ambagis,  }.,  Brouwer,  J.  & Jameson,  C.  2003.  Seasonal 
waterbird  and  raptor  fluctuations  on  the  Niger  and 
Mekrou  Rivers  in  Niger.  Malimbus  25:  39-51. 

Borrow,  N.  & Demey,  R.  2001.  Birds  of  Western  Africa. 
London,  UK:  Christopher  Helm. 

Cheke,  R.  E.  & Walsh,  J.  F.  1996.  The  Birds  of  Togo:  An 
Annotated  Check-list.  BOU  Checklist  No.  l4.Tring: 
British  Ornithologists'  Union. 

Crisler,  T.,  Jameson,  C.  & Brouwer,  J.  2003.  An  updat- 
ed overview  of  the  birds  of  W National  Park,  south- 
west Niger.  Malimbus  25:  5-30. 

Debout,  G.,  Meister,  P.  & Ventelon,  M.  2000.  Notes 
complementaires  sur  l’avifaune  du  Niger.  Malimbus 
22:  87-88. 

Elgood,  J.  H.,  Heigham,  J.  B.,  Moore,  A.  M.,  Nason,  A. 
M.,  Sharland,  R.  E.  & Skinner,  N.  J.  1994.  The 
Birds  of  Nigeria:  An  Annotated  Check-list.  BOU 
Checklist  No.  4.  Second  edn.  Tring:  British 
Ornithologists’  Union. 

Fry.  C.  H..  Keith,  S.  & Urban,  E.  K.  (eds.)  1988.  The 
Birds  of  Africa.  Vol.  3.  London,  UK:  Academic 
Press. 

Fry.  C.  H.,  Keith,  S.  & Urban,  E.  K.  (eds.)  2000.  The 
Birds  of  Africa.  Vol.  6.  London,  UK:  Academic 
Press. 

Giraudoux,  P.,  Degauquier,  R.,  Jones,  P.  J.,  Weigel,  J.  & 
Isenmann,  P.  1988.  Avifaune  du  Niger:  etat  des 
connaissances  en  1986.  Malimbus  10:  1-140. 


Holyoak,  D.  T.  & Seddon,  M.  B.  1991.  Notes  sur  la 
repartition  des  oiseaux  du  Niger.  Alauda  59:  55-57, 
116-120. 

Keith,  S.,  Urban,  E.  K.  & Fry,  C.  H.  (eds.)  1992.  The 
Birds  of  Africa.  Vol.  4.  London,  UK:  Academic 
Press. 

Lamarche,  B.  1981.  Liste  commentee  des  oiseaux  du 
Mali.  2eme  partie.  Malimbus  3:  73-102. 

Newby,  J.,  Grettenberger,  J.  & Watkins,  J.  1987.  The 
birds  of  the  northern  Air,  Niger.  Malimbus  9:  4-16. 
Sauvage,  A.  1993.  Notes  complementaires  sur  l’avi- 
faune  du  Niger.  Malimbus  14:  44-47. 

Sharland,  R.  E.  1989.  Birds  of  Niger.  Malimbus  1 1:  99. 
Urban,  E.  K.,  Fry,  C.  H.  & Keith,  S.  (eds.)  1997.  The 
Birds  of  Africa.  Vol.  5.  London,  UK:  Academic 
Press. 

aTraegaarden  2.  2. tv.,  DK-2300  Copenhagen  S, 
Denmark.  E-mail:  kim@diget.dk 
b Zoological  Museum,  University  of  Copenhagen, 
Universitetsparken  15,  DK-Copenhagen  0,  Denmark. 
E-mail:  aptottrup@zmuc.ku.dk 
c Kildevaeldsgade  74.  l.th.,  DK-2100  Copenhagen  0, 
Denmark.  E-mail:  mcr@email.dk 
d Brouwer  Envir.  &Agric.  Consultancy,  Wildekamp  32, 
6721  JD  Bennekom,  Netherlands.  E-mail: 
brouwbar@bos.nl 


First  record  of  Black-headed  Gull  Larus  ridibundus  for  Benin 


Ben  van  Muyen 


Premiere  mention  de  la  Mouette  rieuse  Larus  ridibundus  pour  le  Benin.  Le  6 fevrier  2003,  deux 
ou  trois  Mouettes  ricuses  Larus  ridibundus  en  plumage  adulte  internuptial  ont  ete  observees  dans 
lcs  marais  de  Guezin,  au  Lac  Aheme,  a environ  30  km  de  Grand  Popo,  pres  de  la  frontiere  du 
logo,  dans  le  sud  Benin  (06‘24’N  0r’57’E).  Cette  donnee  constitue  la  premiere  pour  le  pays. 


Between  29  January  and  15  February  2003, 
Barend  van  Gemerden  and  I visited  Benin  at 
the  invitation  of  the  International  Union  for  the 
Conservation  of  Nature  and  Natural  Resources 
flUCN).  Netherlands,  to  undertake  a study  on  the 
relationship  between  Field  biology,  ecotourism  and 
nature  conservation.  In  the  afternoon  of  6 
February  2003,  we  were  birdwatching  at  Guezin 
marshes.  Lac  Aheme,  c.30  km  from  Grand  Popo, 


near  the  Togolese  border  in  south  Benin  (06"24’N 
0 1 ’57’E).  The  weather  was  dry  and  the  light  excel- 
lent. We  observed  many  species  of  wader,  as  well 
as  two  or  three  gulls,  which  were  feeding  actively 
by  picking  items  from  the  water  surface.  Although 
we  expected  them  to  be  Grey-headed  Gulls  Larus 
cirrocephalus , with  which  I have  experience  from 
The  Gambia  and  South  Africa,  the  rather  pointed 
wings  with  the  conspicuous  white  leading  edge  to 


1S4 -But ABC W 12 No 2 (2005) 


First  records  for  Niger:  Christensen  et  al. 


the  outer  wing  made  it  immediately  obvious  that 
they  were  Black-headed  Gulls  L.  ridibundus , with 
which  we  are  both  very  familiar.  We  observed 
them  on  two  or  three  occasions,  each  time  for  c.  5 
minutes,  through  8 x 42  and  10  x 42  binoculars, 
and  a 10  x 65  telescope. 

The  outer  primaries  were  narrowly  tipped 
black  (Grey-headed  Gull  has  a black  wingtip  bor- 
dered by  a white  diagonal  bar).  The  rest  of  the 
upperwing  was  uniform  grey  and  the  tail  white, 
indicative  of  adult  plumage.  The  head  was  white 
with  a dusky  ear-spot  and  two  faint  bars  across  the 
crown,  from  eye  to  eye  and  from  ear-spot  to  ear- 
spot  (forming  ‘headphones’).  In  one  bird  the  ear- 
spot  was  starting  to  increase  in  size,  indicating  that 
it  was  moulting  from  non-breeding  to  breeding 
plumage.  The  bill  was  slender  and  red,  tipped 
black.  The  legs  were  red. 

This  is  the  first  record  of  Black-headed  Gull 
for  Benin:  the  species  does  not  feature  on  the  list 
presented  by  Dowsett  (1993),  nor  on  the  distribu- 
tion map  in  Borrow  & Demey  (2001),  and  no 
records  have  been  reported  since  (P.  Claffey  pers. 
comm.).  The  species  is  a Palearctic  visitor  to  West 
African  coasts,  from  Mauritania  to  Ghana  (where 
uncommon:  Grimes  1987),  and  also  inland  along 
the  Niger  River  in  Mali  and  west  Niger,  and  in 
northern  Nigeria  (Hadejia-Nguru  wetlands,  Lake 
Chad  area),  southern  Niger  and  Chad  (Elgood  et 
al.  1994,  Borrow  & Demey  2001,  J.  Brouwer 
pers.  comm.).  There  is  only  one  record  from 
neighbouring  Togo,  from  the  north  (Cheke  & 
Walsh  1996),  and  six  from  Lagos,  coastal  Nigeria, 
involving  11  individuals  in  1967-70  (Wallace 
1973);  the  latter,  mentioned  in  Elgood  (1981), 


were  erroneously  omitted  from  Elgood  et  al. 
(1994)  (A.  Moore  in  litt.  2005). 

Acknowledgements 

Ron  Demey  encouraged  me  to  write  this  note  and 
assisted  in  finalising  it.  Patrick  Claffey  and  Joost 
Brouwer  commented  on  a draft  and  provided  useful 
information.  Amberley  Moore  confirmed  that  the 
Lagos  records  were  omitted  in  error. 

References 

Borrow,  N.  & Demey,  R.  2001.  Birds  of  Western  Africa. 

London,  UK:  Christopher  Helm. 

Cheke,  R.  A.  & Walsh,  J.  E 1996.  The  Birds  of  Togo:  An 
Annotated  Check-list.  BOU  Check-list  No.  14.  Tring: 
British  Ornithologists’  Union. 

Dowsett,  R.  J.  1993.  Afrotropical  avifaunas:  annotated 
country  lists.  Benin.  Tauraco  Res.  Rep.  5:  64—68. 
Elgood,  J.  H.  1981.  The  Birds  of  Nigeria:  An  Annotated 
Check-list.  BOU  Check-list  No.  4.  London:  British 
Ornithologists’  Union. 

Elgood,  J.  H.,  Heigham,  J.  B.,  Moore,  A.  M.,  Nason,  A. 
N.,  Sharland,  R.  E.  & Skinner,  N.  J.  1994.  The  Birds 
of  Nigeria:  An  Annotated  Check-list.  BOU  Check-list 
No.  4.  Second  edn.  Tring:  British  Ornithologists’ 
Union. 

Grimes,  L.  G.  1987.  The  Birds  of  Ghana:  An  Annotated 
Check-list.  BOU  Check-list  No.  9.  London,  UK: 
British  Ornithologists’  Union. 

Wallace,  D.  I.  M.  1973.  Seabirds  at  Lagos  and  in  the  Gulf 
of  Guinea.  Ibis  115:  559-571. 

Molenweg  71,  7431  BH  Diepenveen,  Netherlands. 
E-mail:  duinparel@hotmail.  com 


First  record  of  Black-headed  Gull  for  Benin:  van  Muyen 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  - 165 


Premieres  observations  de  I’Aigrette  ardoisee 
Egretta  ardesiaca  au  Congo-Brazzaville 

Jerome  Mokoko  Ikongaa  et  Hugo  J.  Rainey ^ 


First  records  of  Black  Heron  Egretta  ardesiaca  for  Congo-Brazzaville.  We  report  four  definite 
sightings  of  Black  Heron  Egretta  ardesiaca  on  the  Likouala  aux  Herbes  River,  on  12  February- 
2002  (at  01°15’N  17°25’E),  16  December  2004  (7.5  km  east  of  Edzama  village),  24  February 
2005  (7  km  east  of  Edzama)  and  25  February  2005  (at  01°02’N  17°12’E),  following  a probable 
sighting  of  three  individuals  in  February  200 1 on  the  same  river,  c.  1 00  km  south  of  the  2002 
record. 


En  fevrier  2001,  lors  des  comptages  effectues 
dans  le  cadre  du  Programme  de 
Denombrements  des  Oiseaux  d’Eau  en  Afrique 
(DOEA)  le  long  de  la  riviere  Likouala  aux  Herbes, 
au  nord-est  du  Congo-Brazzaville,  JMI  observe  en 
vol  trois  herons  entierement  noirs  avec  des  orteils 
oranges.  Ces  caracteristiques  correspondent  a 
l’Aigrette  ardoisee  Egretta  ardesiaca  (Borrow  & 
Demey  2001).  Les  populations  riveraines,  inter- 
rogees  par  la  suite,  confirment  qu’elles  avaient  vu, 
bien  que  tres  rarement,  une  espece  de  heron  de 
coloration  noire.  Comme  l’Aigrette  ardoisee  con- 
sume une  espece  jusqu’alors  inconnue  du  pays,  des 
observations  complementaires  sont  toutefois 
jugees  necessaires  afin  de  confirmer  sa  presence. 

Le  12  fevrier  2002,  JMI  observe  a nouveau  un 
heron  tout  noir,  sur  un  banc  de  sable  de  la 
Likouala  aux  Herbes,  environ  100  km  plus  au 
nord  de  Fobservation  de  2001,  a 01°15’N 
17°25’E,  entre  la  ville  d’Epena  et  le  village 
d’Edzama.  L’oiseau,  qui  se  trouve  a une  distance 
d’environ  20  m,  est  identifie  comme  une  Aigrette 
ardoisee,  a cause  de  son  plumage  entierement  noir, 
sans  aucune  trace  de  blanc  (ce  qui  elimine 
F Aigrette  a gorge  blanche  E.  gularis , espece  incon- 
nue du  Congo),  ses  plumes  de  la  tete  herissees  et 
ses  orteils  jaune-orange,  bien  visibles  en  vol.  Apres 
s’etre  bien  fait  observer,  Faigrette  s’envole  pour 
rejoindre  100  m plus  loin,  sur  un  arbre,  un  groupe 
cF  Aigrettes  intermediates  E.  intermedia , de  taille 
nettement  plus  grande. 

Le  1 6 decembre  2004,  deux  Aigrettes  ardoisees 
etaient  observees  par  Madzoke-Bola  le  long  de  la 
Likouala  aux  Herbes,  a 7,5  km  a l’est  du  village 
d’Edzama.  Quand  Fobservateur  s’est  approche 
jusqu’a  20  m,  elles  se  sont  envolees  vers  la  rive 
opposee.  L’observateur  ne  disposait  pas  d’ouvrage 
permettant  d’identifier  les  oiseaux,  mais  quand  il  a 


revu  Faigrette  en  fevrier  2005,  il  a remarque  qu’il 
s’agissait  de  la  meme  espece. 

Le  24  fevrier  2005,  HR  et  Madzoke-Bola 
observent  une  Aigrette  ardoisee  le  long  de  la 
Likouala  aux  Herbes,  a 7 km  a l’est  du  village 
d’Edzama,  proche  de  Fobservation  de  decembre 
2004.  Elle  etait  avec  30  Herons  garde-boeufs 
Bubulcus  ibis  et  s’est  envolee  vers  la  rive  opposee 
avec  ceux-ci  lors  de  F approche  des  observateurs. 
Elle  etait  entierement  noire,  y compris  les  yeux  et 
la  gorge,  sauf  les  orteils  qui  etaient  jaune-orange. 
La  nuque  avait  une  petite  huppe.  Elle  semblait  un 
peu  plus  grande  que  les  Herons  garde-boeufs. 

Le  25  fevrier  2005,  lors  du  denombrement 
annuel  des  oiseaux  d’eau,  JMI  note  une  Aigrette 
ardoisee  au  bord  de  la  Likouala  aux  Herbes,  entre 
les  villages  d’Edzama  et  de  Dzeke  (01°15’N 
17°25’E).  L’aigrette  se  trouve  a une  distance  d’en- 
viron 10  m en  compagnie  d’une  dizaine  de  Herons 
garde-boeufs.  Elle  est  entierement  noire,  sans  tache 
blanche  a la  gorge,  avec  de  longues  plumes 
lanceolees  sur  la  tete  et  la  nuque  formant  une 
huppe;  le  bee,  les  yeux  et  les  pattes  sont  noirs;  les 
orteils  oranges. 

Ces  donnees  constituent  les  premieres  de 
l’Aigrette  ardoisee  pour  le  Congo:  F espece  ne 
figure  en  effet  pas  sur  la  liste  du  pays  de  Dowsett 
(1993),  ni  sur  la  carte  de  distribution  dans  Borrow 
& Demey  (2001,  2004).  L’ Aigrette  ardoisee  est 
tres  rare  en  Afrique  centrale  forestiere,  avec 
quelques  mentions  seulement  du  Gabon  et  du  sud 
du  Cameroun  et  aucune  de  la  Republique 
Centrafricaine  ni  de  l’ouest  et  du  centre  du 
Congo-Kinshasa  (Brown  et  al.  1982,  Dowsett 
1993,  Borrow  & Demey  2001,  2004). 


166  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Premieres  observations  de  I’Aigrette  ardoisee  au  Congo:  Mokoko  Ikonga  & Rainey 


Remerciements 

Ces  observations  ont  ete  realisees  dans  le  cadre  du 
Programme  de  Denombrements  des  Oiseaux  d’Eau 
en  Afrique  (DOEA)  de  Wetlands  International,  avec 
l’assistance  technique  du  Wildlife  Conservation 
Society.  Nous  remercions  Madzoke-Bola,  Felicien 
Ntalassani,  Roger  Mobongo  et  Valentin  Bossela  de 
l’equipe  technique  du  WCS  Projet  Lac  Tele  qui  ont 
participe  a cette  operation.  Ron  Demey  et  Fran^oise 
Dowsett-Lemaire  sont  remercies  pour  leurs  com- 
mentaires  sur  le  manuscrit. 

Bibliographie 

Borrow,  N.  & Demey,  R.  2001.  Birds  of  Western  Africa. 

London,  UK:  Christopher  Helm. 

Borrow,  N.  & Demey,  R.  2004.  Field  Guide  to  the  Birds 
of  Western  Africa.  London,  UK:  Christopher  Helm. 
Brown,  L.  H.,  Urban,  E.  K.  & Newman,  K.  (eds.) 
1982.  The  Birds  of  Africa.  Vol.  1.  London,  UK: 
Academic  Press. 

Dowsett,  R.  J.  1993.  Afrotropical  avifaunas:  annotated 
country  checklists.  Congo.  Tauraco  Res.  Rep.  3: 
189-194. 

“Wildlife  Conservation  Society,  Programme  Aires 
Protegees!  Congo.  BP.  14537,  Brazzaville.  E-mail: 
jrmokoko  @y ahoo.fr 

hWildlife  Conservation  Society,  Projet  Reserve  commu- 
nautaire  du  Lac  Tele,  BP  14537,  Brazzaville.  E-mail: 
hrainey@wcs.  org 


Birdwatching  East  Africa 

kenya,  Uganda  & tanzania 

Customized  birdirag  trips  for  small 
groups  of  1-6  led  by  a local  expert 
bird  guide  throghout  Kenya. 
Extensions  to  Uganda  & Tanzania  available. 
1 -24  day  ready-made  bird  tours  available. 
Anything  from  kenyan  endemics  to 
specialties 

"not  only  100s  of  small  birds  but 
big  mammals  too” 

Birdwatching  East  Africa 
PO.  Box  2286  QO10O,  Nairobi  Kenya 
Tel:  1254  (0)722  329  3 70 

info@birdwatchingeastafrica.com 

www.birdwatchingeastafrica.com 


Premieres  observations  de  lAigrette  ardoisee  au  Congo:  Mokoko  Ikonga  & Rainey 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  - 167 


Little-known  African  bird: 

Mali  Firefinch  Lagonosticta  virata 

Robert  B.  Payne 


Un  oiseau  africain  peu  connu:  l’Amarante  de  Kulikoro  Lagonosticta  virata.  Bien  que 
l’Amarante  de  Kulikoro  Lagonosticta  virata  se  trouve  principalement  au  Mali,  son  aire  de  reparti- 
tion connue  s’etend  jusqu’a  Test  du  Senegal  et  pourrait  egalement  comprendre  le  nord-est  de  la 
Guinee.  L’espece  est  tres  semblable  a la  sous-espece  ouest-africaine  de  l’Amarante  fonce  L.  rubri- 
cata  mais  en  differe  par  l’absence  de  nuance  rosatre  a la  calotte  gris-brun,  le  bee  droit  et  etroit, 
certaines  vocalisations  (notamment  le  long  sifflement  feee,  le  kyah  nasal  et  descendant,  et  le  cri 
d’excitation  churn)  et  l’habitat  rocheux  et  semi-aride.  Les  vocalisations  sont  imitees  par  le 
Combassou  de  Barka  Vidua  larvaticola,  qui  parasite  le  nid  de  l’amarante. 


When  Bates,  in  1932,  described  Mali 
Firefinch  Lagonosticta  virata , also  named 
Kulikoro  Firefinch,  as  a new  subspecies  of  African 
Firefinch  L.  rubricata,  he  noted  that  males  have 
plumage  like  male  L.  r.  polionota  elsewhere  in  West 
Africa,  and  female  plumage  is  almost  identical  to 
that  of  the  male.  Goodwin  (1982),  based  on  its 
calls  and  broad  outer  primary,  considered  virata  a 
race  of  Jamesons  Firefinch  L.  rhodopareia.  Recent 
field  observations  and  molecular  analysis  reveal 
that  L.  virata  is  more  closely  related  to  Rock 
Firefinch  L.  sanguino dorsalis  and  L.  rhodopareia 
than  to  L.  rubricata , but  by  its  plumage,  songs  and 
molecular  genetic  distance  from  these  congeners, 
Mali  Firefinch  should  be  treated  as  specifically  dis- 
tinct (Payne  1998,  Barlow  et  al.  2001,  Sorenson  et 
al.  2003,  Payne  2004,  Payne  & Barlow  2004). 

Based  on  specimens,  Mali  Firefinch  occurs  in 
Mali  at  Bamako,  Tienfala,  Koulikoro,  and  Fiko 
near  the  Bandiagara  escarpment,  and  in  Bamako  a 
bird  dealer  had  Mali  Firefinches  caught  close  to 
the  Niger  River  near  San  (Payne  & Barlow  2004). 
These  few  records  suggest  a limited  distribution. 
Earlier  observations  of  CZ.  rubricata  in  Mali 
(Lamarche  1981)  probably  refer  to  Mali  Firefinch; 
the  two  species  are  very  similar  in  appearance. 
Mali  Firefinch  also  occurs  in  eastern  Senegal 
(Payne  1997),  and  based  on  our  knowledge  of 
habitat  preferences  might  also  occur  in  south-west 
Mali  and  north-east  Guinea. 

Males  have  the  crown  brownish  grey,  back 
grey-brown,  rump  red,  tail  black  with  outer  feath- 
er fringes  red;  the  lores  are  red,  the  cheeks,  chin, 
throat  to  belly  deep  pinkish  red,  breast-sides  and 
upper  flanks  marked  with  small  white  spots,  cen- 


tral belly  grey,  lower  belly  and  undertail-coverts 
black;  the  bill  is  blackish,  base  of  lower  mandible 
pale  blue,  and  the  eye-ring  is  pink  (all  as  in  L. 
rubricata  polionota)  and  the  outer  primaries  are 
broad,  not  emarginated  (Fig.  1).  Females  are 
slightly  paler  below.  Male  Mali  Firefinch  differs 
from  African  Firefinch  in  West  Africa  in  lacking  a 
pink  wash  to  the  grey-brown  crown,  in  bill  shape, 
straight  and  narrow  (the  culmen  is  deep  and 
curved  in  African  Firefinch),  and  in  the  hand  by  a 
broad  outer  primary.  Distinctive  field  marks  are 
the  bill  shape  and  churring  calls,  and  in  West 
Africa  the  rocky  and  semi-arid  habitat  is 
characteristic. 

In  voice,  the  contact  call,  a wheeze  kyah,  rises 
rapidly  in  pitch  then  falls  and  lasts  0.2  second;  it 
has  a nasal  tone.  The  long-distance  call  feeee  is  a 
whistle,  maintained  for  c.  1 second,  sometimes  ris- 
ing or  falling  in  pitch,  or  with  an  overtone.  The 
alarm  or  excitement  note  is  a rattle  churrrr , con- 
sisting of  20-22  notes  per  second,  loud  and  mel- 
low, often  given  in  series  of  three,  churrrr,  churr, 
churr.  Their  whistled  trills  are  much  as  in  African 
Firefinch.  The  churrrr,  churr,  churr , wheeze  kyah 
and  whistle  feeee  are  all  distinctive. 

Habitat  change  is  the  main  threat  to  the 
species’  populations.  Mali  Firefinches  were 
observed  in  September  1996  and  2000  in  Mali,  at 
Tienfala  Forest  Reserve  (12°33'N  07°42'W)  (not 
in  September  1999  and  October  2000,  as  men- 
tioned in  error  in  Payne  & Barlow  2004),  where 
Nicolai  (1982)  had  also  observed  them.  The 
reserve  was  being  cut  and  the  wood  sold  by  the 
bundle  on  the  roadside,  although  the  rocky  hill- 
sides with  grass  and  shrubs  were  still  intact,  as  in 


168  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Little-known  African  bird 


Figure  1.  Mali  Firefinch  / Amarante  de  Kulikoro  Lagonosticta  virata,  Tienfala,  Mali,  29  September  2000  (Robert  B. 
Payne) 


Nicolais  (1982)  photograph.  This  habitat  may 
persist  for  many  years:  photographs  taken  else- 
where show  scrubby  rocky  hillsides  to  survive  near 
human  occupation  over  nearly  a century  (Schantz 
& Turner  1958,  Turner  et  al.  1998).  Mali 
Firefinch  also  appears  in  the  bird  trade  (Payne  & 
Barlow  2004).  Although  Mali  Firefinch  is  host  to 
the  brood  parasitic  Barka  Indigobird  Vidua  lar- 
vaticola , which  mimics  its  calls  and  songs  (Payne 
& Barlow  2004),  the  effects  of  indigobirds  on  fire- 
finches  are  negligible  in  other  populations  (Morel 
1973). 

References 

Barlow,  C.,  Hammick,  J.  & Sellar,  P.  2001.  Bird  Song  of 
The  Gambia  and  Senegal:  An  Aid  to  Identification. 
Wimborne:  Mandarin  Productions. 

Goodwin,  D.  1982.  Estrildid  Finches  of  the  World. 

London,  UK:  Brit.  Mus.  (Nat.  Hist.). 

Lamarche,  B.  1981.  Liste  commentee  des  oiseaux  du 
Mali,  2eme  partie.  Malimbus  3:  73-102. 

Morel,  M.-Y.  1973.  Contribution  a l’etude  dynamique 
de  la  population  de  Lagonosticta  senegala  L. 
(Estrildides)  a Richard-Toll  (Senegal).  Mem.  Mus. 
Natl.  Hist.  Nat.  Ser.  A,  Zool.  78. 

Nicolai,  J.  1982.  Comportement,  voix  et  relations  de 
parents  de  famaranthe  du  Mali  (. Lagonosticta  vira- 
ta). Malimbus  4:  9-14. 


Payne,  R.  B.  1997.  The  Mali  Firefinch  Lagonosticta 
virata  in  Senegal.  Malimbus  19:  39-41. 

Payne,  R.  B.  1998.  A new  species  of  firefinch 
Lagonosticta  from  northern  Nigeria,  and  its  associa- 
tion with  the  Jos  Plateau  Indigobird  Vidua  maryae. 
Ibis  140:  368-381. 

Payne,  R.  B.  2004.  Mali  Firefinch  Lagonosticta  virata.  In 
Fry,  C.  H.  & Keith,  S.  (eds.)  The  Birds  of  Africa. 
Vol.  7.  London,  UK:  Christopher  Helm. 

Payne,  R.  B.  & Barlow,  C.  R.  2004.  Songs  of  Mali 
Firefinch  Lagonosticta  virata  and  their  mimicry  by 
Barka  Indigobird  Vidua  larvaticola  in  West  Africa. 
Malimbus  26:  11-18. 

Schantz,  H.  L.  & Turner,  B.  L.  1958.  Photographic 
documentation  of  vegetational  changes  in  Africa 
over  a third  of  a century.  Univ.  Arizona  College  of 
Agriculture  Rep.  169. 

Sorenson,  M.  D.,  Sefc,  K.  M.  & Payne,  R.  B.  2003. 
Speciation  by  host  switch  in  brood  parasitic  indigo- 
birds. Nature  A 24:  928-931. 

Turner,  R.  M.,  Ochung,  H.  A.  & Turner,  J.  B.  1998. 
Kenya’s  Changing  Landscape.  Tucson:  University  of 
Arizona  Press. 

Museum  of  Zoology,  University  of  Michigan,  Ann 
Arbor,  MI  48109-179,  USA. 


Little-known  African  bird 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) -169 


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Photospot: 

An  intermediate  form  of 
Hairy-breasted  Barbet  Tricholaema  hirsuta 

L.  D.  C.  Fishpool 

Une  forme  intermediaire  du  Barbican  herisse  Tricholaema  hirsuta.  Deux  des  quatre  sous-especes 
du  Barbican  herisse  Tricholaema  hirsuta  possedent  une  tete  noire  avec  deux  traits  blancs  bien 
prononces,  tandis  que  les  deux  autres  ont  la  tete  finement  tachetee  et  striee,  sans  traits  blancs.  La 
race  nominale  hirsuta , qui  s’etend  de  la  Sierra  Leone  au  centre-sud  du  Nigeria,  appartient  aux 
formes  possedant  les  traits  blancs,  tandis  que  la  race  flavipunctata,  qui  occupe  le  sud-est  du 
Nigeria  jusqu’au  Cameroun  (excepte  le  sud-est)  et  le  centre  du  Gabon,  a le  dessus  de  la  tete  mar- 
que de  petits  points  jaunes  et  la  face  et  la  gorge  tres  finement  strides,  formant  un  ensemble  assez 
gris.  Des  formes  intermediaires  de  ces  deux  sous-especes  se  trouvent  toutefois  de  Test  du  Ghana 
au  sud-ouest  du  Nigeria.  Les  photos  reproduites  ici,  prises  au  Parc  national  d’Okomu,  au  sud- 
ouest  du  Nigeria,  montrent  un  tel  oiseau  de  forme  intermediaire. 


Morphological  variation  in  the  Hairy- 
breasted  Barbet  Tricholaema  hirsuta  affects 
mainly  the  pattern  of  the  head  and  throat.  Some 
populations  possess  a black  crown  and  face  with  a 
white  stripe  above  and  behind  the  eye  and  a sec- 
ond on  the  throat-side,  whilst  other  populations 
lack  these  stripes  and  have  instead  pale  spotting 
covering  the  otherwise  black  or  brownish-black 
crown  and  face.  Current  taxonomic  orthodoxy 
recognises  four  subspecies,  of  which  two  have 


white  head-stripes.  Thus,  nominate  hirsuta , which 
ranges  from  Sierra  Leone  to  south-central  Nigeria 
(in  the  Niger  Delta  region),  has  no  spotting  on  the 
crown  or  nape  and,  in  the  male,  a black  throat 
(throat  feathers  reputedly  tipped  whitish  in  the 
female).  The  race  ansorgii  extends  from  south-east 
Cameroon  east  to  western  Kenya,  north-west 
Tanzania  and  southern  DR  Congo,  and  differs 
from  nominate  in  having  the  white  head-stripes 
narrower,  the  chin  and  throat  conspicuously 


Figures  1-2.  Hairy-breasted  Barbet  Tricholaema  hirsuta , intermediate  form  hirsuta  / flavipunctata,  Okomu  National 
Park,  Nigeria,  February  2005  (A.  P.  Leventis) 

Barbican  herisse  Tricholaema  hirsuta , forme  intermediaire  hirsuta  / flavipunctata,  Parc  national  d’Okomu,  Nigeria, 
fevrier  2005  (A.  P.  Leventis) 


1 72  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Photospot 


streaked  white,  and  yellow  spotting  extending 
from  the  back  onto  the  nape  and,  sometimes,  the 
crown.  The  colours  of  the  body  are  also  less 
intense;  thus,  it  has  brownish-black,  rather  than 
black,  upperparts  and  the  yellow  belly  is  duller. 
Geographically  interposed  between  them,  from 
south-east  Nigeria  to  Cameroon  (except  the 
south-east)  and  central  Gabon,  is  flavipunctata , 
which  has  the  face  blackish  with  whitish  spots  and 
yellow  spotting  or  narrow  streaking  covering  the 
forehead,  crown  and  nape.  Below,  the  belly  of 
flavipunctata  is  very  dull  yellow  with  predomi- 
nantly brown,  not  black,  markings.  Lastly, 
angolensis , from  southern  Gabon  and  south  Congo 
to  north-west  Angola  and  southern  DR  Congo, 
has  a brownish  crown,  pale  streaky  spots  on  the 
face  and  a brownish-white  throat  with  darker  bar- 
ring; angolensis  also  differs  conspicuously  from  the 
other  races  in  being  much  the  brownest  of  the 
four,  with  little  yellow  on  the  breast  and  belly 
(Short  & Horne  1988,  2001,  2002). 

The  nominate  race  and  flavipunctata  do,  how- 
ever, intergrade  across  a broad  region  extending 
from  eastern  Ghana,  through  Togo  to  south-west 
Nigeria  (Short  & Horne  1988,  2001,  2002).  The 
accompanying  photographs  (Figs.  1-2),  taken  in 
Okomu  National  Park,  south-west  Nigeria,  by  A. 
P.  Leventis,  are  of  such  a bird.  It  shows  the  con- 
spicuous white  supercilium  and  moustachial  stripe 
of  nominate  hirsuta  as  well  as  the  black  ground 
colour  to  the  upperparts.  However,  the  yellow 
spotting  on  the  nape,  central  crown,  forehead  and, 
in  Fig.  2,  faintly  on  the  ear-coverts  and  below  the 
eye,  as  well  as  the  whitish  throat  with  dark  streak- 
ing, are  characters  more  typical  of  flavipunctata. 

These  intermediate  forms  have  long  been 
known  and,  indeed,  named.  Their  taxonomic  his- 
tory is,  however,  confused  and  does  not  need  to  be 
revisited  here.  Suffice  to  say  that  these  intergrades 
have  largely  been  overlooked  in  more  recent  liter- 


ature and  these  photographs  serve  as  cautionary 
reminders  of  their  existence.  It  seems  that  there  is 
much  still  to  be  learned  of  the  status  and  distribu- 
tion of  the  races  of  T.  hirsuta.  Indeed,  it  appears 
that  some  confusion  even  remains  over  sexual 
dimorphism  in  nominate  hirsuta.  For  example, 
Bates  (1930)  suggested  that  the  throat  of  the 
female  is  whitish  streaked  black  whilst  in  the  male 
it  is  uniformly  black.  This  was  disputed  by 
Bannerman  (1933)  who  thought  that  both  sexes 
were  dark-throated.  This  still  does  not  seem  to 
have  been  resolved  as,  in  the  more  recent  standard 
works,  whilst  there  is  no  mention  of  a sexual  dif- 
ference in  throat  colour  in  Borrow  & Demey 
(2001)  or  Short  & Horne  (1988,  2001),  Short  & 
Horne  (2002)  state  such  a difference  does  exist  and 
illustrate  it.  Further  field  work  is  clearly  called  for! 

References 

Bannerman,  D.  A.  1933.  The  Birds  of  Tropical  West 
Africa.  Vol.  3.  London,  UK:  Crown  Agents. 

Bates,  G.  L.  1930.  Handbook  of  the  Birds  of  West  Africa. 

London,  UK:  John  Bale,  Sons  & Danielsson  Ltd. 
Borrow,  N.  & Demey,  R.  2001.  Birds  of  Western  Africa. 

London,  UK:  Christopher  Helm. 

Short,  L.  L.  & Horne,  J.  F.  M.  1988.  Capitonidae  (bar- 
bets  and  tinkerbirds).  In  Fry,  C.  H.,  Keith,  S.  & 
Urban,  E.  K.  (eds.)  The  Birds  of  Africa.  Vol.  3. 
London,  UK:  Academic  Press. 

Short,  L.  L.  & Horne,  J.  F.  M.  2001.  Toucans,  Barbets 
and  Honeyguides.  Oxford:  Oxford  University  Press. 
Short,  L.  L.  & Horne,  J.  F.  M.  2002.  Family 
Capitonidae  (barbets).  In  del  Hoyo,  J.,  Elliott,  A., 
Sargatal,  J.  (eds.)  Handbook  of  the  Birds  of  the  World. 
Vol.  7.  Barcelona:  Lynx  Edicions. 

c/o  BirdLife  International,  Wellbrook  Court,  Girton 
Road,  Cambridge  CB3  ONA,  UK. 


Photospot 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) -173 


Reviews 


Important  Bird  Areas  in  Guinea- 
Bissau  / Zonas  Importantes 
para  as  Aves  na  Guinee-Bissau 

Tim  Dodman,  Clive  Barlow,  Joaozinho 
Sa  and  Peter  Robertson,  2004.  Dakar, 
Senegal:  Wetlands  International  & 
Bissau:  Gabinete  de  Planificagao 
Costeira  / Organizagao  para  a Defense 
e o Desenvolvimento  das  Zonas 
Hu  mid  as  na  Guine-Bissau.  130  pp, 
colour  illustrations,  maps.  Softback. 

ISBN  9058820238.  Distributed  by  NHBS. 
UK£20. 00. 

This  is  the  latest  addition  to  the 
growing  series  of  publications  devot- 
ed to  the  Important  Bird  Areas 
(IBAs)  of  a single  country,  following 
those  on  Ethiopia,  Egypt, 
Madagascar,  Kenya,  Uganda, 
Southern  Africa,  Nigeria  and 
Tanzania.  As  is  the  case  with  many 
other  West  African  countries,  the 
avifauna  of  Guinea-Bissau  is  rather 
imperfectly  known,  but  the  gaps  are 
gradually  now  being  filled,  the  IBA 
programme  having  been  a major 
stimulus.  This  small  country  boasts 
ten  IBAs,  covering  more  than  one 
million  ha — no  less  than  about  one- 
third  of  the  country’s  surface  area. 
The  present  publication  provides  site 
descriptions,  with  supporting  data, 
several  maps  and  conservation  rec- 
ommendations. These  are  preceded 


by  an  introduction  to  the  IBA 
process  and  to  Guinea-Bissau,  and  a 
synopsis  of  threats  to  biodiversity  at 
the  national  level.  The  annexes 
include  an  updated  bird  list  of  5 1 8 
species  for  Guinea-Bissau,  detailing 
occurrence  at  all  ten  IBAs,  as  well  as 
a mammal  list.  A comparison  of  the 
bird  list  with  the  previously  pub- 
lished list  by  Dowsett  (1993),  which 
contains  319  species,  gives  an  indica- 
tion of  the  amount  of  data  that  have 
recently  been  gathered.  A paper,  pro- 
viding details  on  more  than  1 00  of 
these  additional  species  that  have  not 
yet  been  properly  documented  is  in 
preparation  (T.  Dodman  in  lift.). 

Despite  being  small,  the  country 
still  has  a relatively  low  population 
density  of  3 1 inhabitants/km2  (in 
1997),  and  has  apparently  not  yet 
suffered  heavy  exploitation  of  its  nat- 
ural resources.  The  many  coastal  and 
inland  wetlands  are  of  international 
importance  for  waterbirds,  with  the 
Bijagos  Archipelago  alone  seasonally 
supporting  close  to  one  million 
migrant  waders.  Some  areas  of  the 
largely  unexplored  tropical  forests  are 
the  most  westerly  point  in  distribu- 
tion for  several  species.  However, 
with  an  estimated  annual  increase  of 
2.9%,  the  population  is  growing  fast 
and  natural  resources  are,  as  every- 
where else  in  Africa,  under  increas- 
ing pressure.  This  publication,  which 
is  entirely  in  Portuguese  and  English, 
provides  an  invaluable  tool  to  both 
governmental  and  non-governmental 
institutions  and  organisations  that 
attempt  to  address  conservation 
issues. 

Ron  Demey 

Reference 

Dowsett,  R.  J.  1993.  Afrotropical 

avifaunas:  annotated  country  lists. 

Guinea-Bissau.  Tauraco  Res.  Rep . 

5:  19-23. 


A Guide  to  the  Birds  of  St 
Helena  and  Ascension  Island 

Neil  McCulloch,  2004.  Sandy,  UK:  The 
Royal  Society  for  the  Protection  of  Birds. 
92  pp,  numerous  colour  illustrations,  3 
maps.  Paperback.  ISBN  1 901930  46  1. 
UK£10. 


It  may  be  rather  surprising  that  a 
guide  to  the  birds  of  these  remote  and 
little-visited  islands  has  been  pub- 
lished. The  author  informs  us  that  it 
is  ‘a  response  to  the  many  requests 
made  over  the  past  ten  years  by  visi- 
tors, local  teachers  and  other  interest- 
ed islanders  for  a simple  identification 
guide  to  all  the  birds  likely  to  be  seen 
on  the  two  islands’.  No  singular 
regional  field  guide  covers  these. 

The  introduction  presents  the 
islands’  environments,  relates  these 
to  the  birds  and  includes  a section 
on  where  to  watch  birds,  illustrated 
with  two  rudimentary  maps.  The 
main  part  of  the  book  contains  the 
accounts  of  28  species  likely  to  be 
seen,  equally  split  into  14  seabirds 
and  14  landbirds.  Each  species  is 
illustrated  with  a lively  and  accurate 
full-page  watercolour  sketch  by  Dan 
Powell,  which  should  enable  easy 
identification.  A small  error  has  crept 
in  the  caption  of  the  all-brown  form 
of  adult  Red-footed  Booby  Sula  sula, 


1 74  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Reviews 


which  is  labelled  as  being  the  white- 
headed  form.  Each  island  boasts  an 
endemic:  St  Helena  Plover  or 
Wirebird  Charadrius  sanctaehelenae, 

St  Helenas  only  surviving  endemic 
iandbird,  reclassified  in  2004  as 
Vulnerable  (from  Endangered: 
BirdLife  International  2000,  2004) 
and  numbering  c. 3 5 0-400  individu- 
als (see  also:  McCulloch,  N.  1999), 
and  Ascension  Frigatebird  Fregata 
aquila.  Appendices  list  extinct  birds, 
accidental  visitors  (3 1 for  St  Helena, 
46  for  Ascension)  and  failed  intro- 
ductions. Curiously,  Cattle  Egret 
Bubulcus  ibis , which,  as  a ‘frequent 
visitor’,  has  a full  species  account,  is 
also  listed  as  accidental  for  both 
islands.  Sanderling  Calidris  alba , stat- 
ed to  be  a ‘not  infrequent  passage 
migrant’  by  Rowlands  et  al.  (1998)  is 
relegated  to  the  accidentals  list, 
whereas  Bulwer’s  Petrel  Bulweria  bul- 
werii , an  accidental  visitor  unlikely  to 
be  seen,  gets  a full  species  account. 
These,  however,  are  very  minor 
inconsistencies  that  do  not  impair  the 
usefulness  of  this  sympathetic  and 
attractively  produced  guide. 

Ron  Demey 

References 

BirdLife  International.  2000. 
Threatened  Birds  of  the  World. 
Cambridge,  UK:  BirdLife 
International  & Barcelona:  Lynx 
Edicions. 

BirdLife  International.  2004. 
Threatened  Birds  of  the  World 
2004.  CD-ROM.  Cambridge, 

UK:  BirdLife  International. 
McCulloch,  N.  1999.  St  Helena 
Wirebird:  the  forgotten  plover. 
Bull.  ABC  6:  95-99. 

Rowlands,  B.  W.,  Trueman,  T., 

Olson,  S.  L,  McCulloch,  M.  N. 

& Brooke,  R.  K.  1998.  The  Birds 
of  St  Helena:  An  Annotated 
Checklist.  BOU  Checklist  No.  16. 
Tring:  British  Ornithologists’ 
Union. 


La  faune  terrestre  de  I’archipel 
des  Comores 

Michel  Louette,  Danny  Meirte  and  Rudy 
Jocque  (eds.),  2004.  Tervuren:  Musee 
royal  de  I’Afrique  centrale.  (Studies  in 
Afrotropical  Zoology  No.  293).  456  pp, 


numerous  colour  photographs,  line  draw- 
ings, maps.  Hardback.  ISBN  90-75894- 
63-5. 

From  1981  to  2003,  scientists  of  the 
Royal  Museum  for  Central  Africa, 
Tervuren,  Belgium,  undertook  some 
1 5 zoological  expeditions  to  the 
Comoros.  The  present  work,  based 
on  these  expeditions,  gives  an 
overview  and  (where  possible)  an 
inventory  of  the  terrestrial  fauna  of 
these  four  tropical  and  volcanic 
islands  in  the  western  Indian  Ocean. 
Introductory  chapters  describe  the 
physical  environment  (geography, 
geology,  climate,  vegetation,  human 
history  and  habitat  modification), 
and  briefly  present  the  characteristics 
of  the  fauna  and  the  biological 
colonisation  of  the  islands.  The 
penultimate  chapter  gives  an 
overview  of  biodiversity  threats  and 
conservation  legislation  and  activities. 
A final  chapter  presents  c.20  note- 
worthy sites,  with  suggestions  con- 
cerning ‘animals  to  see’.  The  main 
part  of  the  book  (287  pages)  consists 
of  chapters  on  mammals,  birds,  rep- 
tiles, amphibians,  freshwater  fish, 
invertebrates,  arachnids,  myriapodes, 
crustaceans  and  molluscs.  A compre- 
hensive bird  list  indicating  each 
species’  status  and  island  distribution 
is  included  as  an  appendix,  with 
other  lists  of  reptiles,  mammals, 
amphibians,  freshwater  fish  and  pro- 
tected species.  A list  of  ‘further  read- 
ing’ is  provided,  as  well  as  a 1 9-page 
bibliography  and  a species  index.  The 
book  is  entirely  in  French,  with  only 
a 3.5-page  summary  in  English. 

The  bird  chapter,  by  Michel 
Louette,  comprises  110  pages  and  is 
thus  by  far  the  largest  of  the  book.  It 
contains  an  extensively  annotated  list 
of  1 16  certain  and  a few  hypothetical 
species  which  updates  the  informa- 
tion presented  in  the  author’s  previ- 
ous work  on  the  archipelago’s  avifau- 
na, published  in  1988  (Louette,  M. 
1988.  Les  oiseaux  des  Comores.  Ann. 
Mus.  Roy.  Afr.  Centr.  Sci.  Zool.  255: 
1-192).  Whereas  some  species,  for 
which  data  are  scarce,  are  treated  in  a 
few  lines,  most  get  half  a page  or 
more  (with  a maximum  of  four  pages 
for  Barn  Owl  Tyto  alba).  For  the  ben- 
efit of  the  international  ornithologi- 


cal community,  it  would  have  been 
useful  to  include  the  English  species 
names.  The  text  would  also  have  ben- 
efited from  some  more  rigorous 
copy-editing.  The  Comoros  boast  1 6 
endemic  species  and  22  endemic  sub- 
species, of  which  six  single-island 
endemics  are  threatened:  three  scops 
owls  (Grand  Comoro  Scops  Owl 
Otus  pauliani,  Anjouan  Scops  Owl 
O.  capnodes  and  Moheli  Scops  Owl 
O.  moheliensis)  are  listed  as  Critical, 
Grand  Comoro  Flycatcher  Humblotia 
flavirostris  and  Grand  Comoro 
Drongo  Dicrurus  fuscipennis  are 
Endangered,  and  Mount  Karthala 
White-eye  Zosterops  mouroniensis  is 
Vulnerable.  The  Near-Threatened 
Comoro  Olive  Pigeon  Columba  pol- 
lenii  occurs  on  all  four  islands. 
Regrettably,  these  threat  statuses  are 
not  mentioned  in  this  work,  which  is 
rather  surprising  considering  the 
space  devoted  to  conservation.  Most 
endemics  occur  in  humid  forest,  with 
only  a few  surviving  in  the  non-forest 
zone.  Unfortunately,  the  human  pop- 
ulation is  increasing  rapidly  and  most 
remaining  primary  forest  could  be 
lost  to  agriculture  soon,  as  even  very 
steep  slopes  are  being  cleared.  It  is  to 
be  hoped  that  this  attractively  pro- 
duced and  lavishly  illustrated  book — 
the  bird  chapter  alone  contains  57 
colour  photographs — will  get  more 
Comorians  involved  in  conserving 
the  biodiversity  of  their  small  but 
biologically  interesting  islands. 

Ron  Demey 


Reviews 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  -175 


176  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Recent  Reports 


Recent  Reports 


These  are  largely  unconfirmed 
records  published  for  interest  only; 
records  are  mostly  from  2004  and 
early  2005,  with  a few  from  earlier 
dates.  We  thank  all  birders  who 
have  sent  in  their  records  and  urge 
them  to  submit  full  details  to  the 
relevant  national  or  regional  organi- 
sations. It  is  suggested  that  observa- 
tions of  each  species  be  compared 
with  relevant  literature  to  set  new 
data  in  context  and  that  observers 
who  are  unfamiliar  with  the  status 
of  birds  in  a particular  country  refer 
to  R.  J.  Dowsett’s  (1993) 
Afrotropical  avifaunas:  annotated 
country  checklists  (in:  R.  J.  Dowsett 
& E Dowsett-Lemaire.  A 


Contribution  to  the  Distribution  and 
Taxonomy  of  Afrotropical  and 
Malagasy  Birds.  Tauraco  Res.  Rep.  5. 
Liege:  Tauraco  Press)  or  more  recent 
or  appropriate  sources  before  sub- 
mitting records. 


Les  observations  ci-apres  sont  en 
majeure  partie  non  confirmees  et 
sont  publiees  uniquement  dans  le 
but  d’ informer.  La  plupart  des  don- 
nees sont  de  2004  et  debut  2005; 
quelques-unes  sont  plus  anciennes. 
Nous  remercions  tous  les  ornitho- 
logues  qui  ont  pris  la  peine  de  nous 
faire  parvenir  leurs  donnees  et  nous 


recommandons  de  les  envoyer, 
dument  documentees,  aux  organisa- 
tions nationales  ou  regionales  con- 
cernees.  II  est  conseille  de  verifier  le 
statut  des  especes  observees  dans  la 
litterature  appropriee,  afin  de  mettre 
les  nouvelles  donnees  en  perspective, 
et  de  consulter  notamment  R.  J. 
Dowsett  (1993)  Afrotropical  avifau- 
nas: annotated  country  checklists 
(in:  R.  J.  Dowsett  & E Dowsett- 
Lemaire.  A Contribution  to  the 
Distribution  and  Taxonomy  of 
Afrotropical  and  Malagasy  Birds. 
Tauraco  Res.  Rep.  5.  Liege:  Tauraco 
Press)  ou  des  sources  plus  recentes 
ou  appropriees. 


Angola 

A visit  to  the  north  in 
January-February  2005  yielded  the 
following  interesting  records.  Five  of 
the  poorly  known  White-headed 
Robin  Chat  Cossypha  heinrichii  were 
found  in  fairly  degraded  gallery 
woodland  30  km  north-east  of 
Calandula,  Malanje,  on  1 February; 
this  species,  listed  as  Vulnerable,  has 
a very  limited  range.  Two  Black- 
tailed Cisticolas  Cisticola  melanurus , 
a Data  Deficient  species,  were  seen 


Captions  to  figures  on  opposite  page 


in  pristine  climax  miombo  wood- 
land 26  km  north-east  of  Calandula, 
Malanje,  on  2 February.  Three  pairs 
of  the  Endangered  Braun’s  Bush- 
shrike  Laniarius  brauni  were  duet- 
ting  in  a small  patch  of  degraded 
forest  30  km  south  of  Ufge,  Ufge 
Province,  on  3 1 January.  The  sight- 
ing of  two  male  Bob-tailed  Weavers 
Brachycope  anomala  in  swampy, 
grassy  habitat  on  a flooded  area  of 
the  Luinha  River,  2 km  south  of 
Luinha  village,  Cuanza  Norte,  on  1 


February,  appears  to  constitute  the 
first  record  of  this  species  for  .the 
country  {IS,  DC,  MC,  PP). 

Azores 

The  following  records  are  from 
November  2004-February  2005.  A 
freshly  dead  Leach’s  Storm-petrel 
Oceanodroma  leucorhoa  was  found  at 
Horta,  Faial,  on  9 November.  A 
Pied-billed  Grebe  Podilymbus  podi- 
ceps  was  at  Lagoa  Azul,  Sao  Miguel, 
on  3 1 January.  The  long-staying 
Snowy  Egret  Egretta  thula  was  still 
at  Florta  harbour/Porto  Pirn,  Faial, 
in  late  December.  A Litde  Egret  E. 
garzetta  was  also  there  on  9-17 
November,  with  another  at  Santa 
Cruz  de  Graciosa,  Graciosa,  on 
20th,  whereas  a Great  Egret  E.  alba 
was  at  Pedro  Miguel  on  6 
November.  A Peregrine  Falcon  Falco 
peregrinus  was  on  Praia  Islet, 
Graciosa,  on  1 December.  Three 
Tufted  Ducks  Aythya  fuligula,  for 
which  there  are  few  recent  records  in 
the  Azores,  were  at  Cabrillo 
Reservoir  from  27  February  until  3 
March.  On  27-29  January,  an 
American  Coot  Fulica  americana 
was  at  Lagoa  Azul,  Sao  Miguel. 


Figure  1.  Kelp  Gull  / Goeland  dominicain  Earns  dominicanus , Tanji,  The 
Gambia,  10  Febraury  2005  (Edwin  Winkel) 

Figure  2.  Franklin's  Gull  / Mouette  de  Franklin  Larus pipixcan,  Banjul,  8 
February  2005  (Edwin  Winkel) 

Figure  3.  Lesser  Noddy  / Noddi  marianne  Anous  tenuirostris,  Rufiji  River, 
Tanzania,  17  January  2005  (G.  M.  Flieg) 

Figure  4.  White-crested  Tiger  Heron  / Onore  a huppe  blanche  Tigriornis  leu- 
colopha , Toubakuta,  Sine  Saloum,  Senegal,  2 October  2004  (Henry 
Brousmiche) 

Figure  5.  Male  Blue-winged  Teal  / Sarcelle  a ailes  bleues  Anas  discors,  Djoudj 
National  Park,  Senegal,  4 March  2005  (Carlos  Guttierrez) 

Figure  6.  Ovambo  Sparrowhawk  / Epervier  de  l'Ovampo  Accipiter  ovampensis , 
Coyah,  Guinea,  8 May  2005  (Gaetan  Guedon) 


Recent  Reports 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  - 177 


At  Cabo  da  Praia,  Terceira,  single 
Semipalmated  Plovers  Charadrius 
semipalmatus  were  seen  on  1 
February  and  from  27  February  into 
March,  Semipalmated  Sandpipers 
Calidris  pusilla  on  22  January  (three) 
and  1 February  (one),  and  a Bairds 
Sandpiper  C.  bairdii  on  1 February. 
Single  Purple  Sandpipers  C.  mariti- 
ma  were  found  at  Praia  Islet, 

Graciosa,  on  21  November,  and  at 
Praia  da  Vitoria,  Terceira,  on  27 
February.  Whimbrels  Numenius 
phaeopus  were  reported  from  Horta 
harbour  in  November-December 
(one),  Porto  Pirn,  Faial,  on  16 
November  (one),  and  Praia  Islet, 
Graciosa,  on  20  November  (two), 
and  two  Hudsonian  Whimbrels  N. 

( phaeopus ) hudsonicus  at  Povoa^o, 
Sao  Miguel,  on  27  January.  A 
Spotted  Sandpiper  Actitis  macularius 
was  at  Lajes  do  Pico,  Pico,  on  1 
January.  Also  there  was  a first-winter 
Bonaparte’s  Gull  Larus  Philadelphia ; 
on  1 March  one  was  seen  at  Angra 
do  Herofsmo.  In  November- 
January,  Ring-billed  Gulls  L. 
delawarensis  were  noted  at  Florta  har- 
bour, Faial  (up  to  four),  Vila  do 
Porto  harbour,  Santa  Maria  (one), 
Lajes  do  Pico  (one)  and  Ponta 
Delgada  harbour,  Sao  Miguel  (up  to 
ten);  in  late  February-early  March, 

46  were  present  at  Praia  da  Victoria, 
Terceira.  A first-winter  Glaucous 
Gull  L.  hyperboreus  was  at  Horta  har- 
bour, Faial,  on  27  January  and  at 
Praia  da  Victoria,  Terceira,  on  27 
February-3  March.  At  the  latter  site 
a first-winter  Iceland  Gull  L.  glau- 
coides  was  also  found  on  the  same 
dates.  American  Herring  Gulls  L. 
argentatus  smithsonianus  were  report- 
ed from  Terceira  on  1 March  (one) 
and  28  February-2  March  (three). 
Three  Meadow  Pipits  Anthus  praten- 
sis  were  at  Cabo  da  Praia,  Terceira 
(per  Birding  World  17:  497-498,  18: 

1 5;  per  Birdwatch  155:  76;  per  Dutch 
Birding  27:  135-143). 

Benin 

A belated  report  was  received  of  a 
Dunlin  Calidris  alpina , at  Guezin 
marshes,  near  the  Togolese  border  in 
the  south,  on  6 February  2003 
{BvM)\  this  is  the  second  (and  possi- 


bly the  first  certain)  record  for  Benin, 
following  an  unsubstantiated  and 
rather  odd  claim  of  an  exceptional  26 
birds  at  the  same  locality  in  1996. 

Botswana 

Records  from  the  period  August 
2004-March  2005  include  the  fol- 
lowing. At  least  three  breeding 
colonies  of  African  Openbill  Storks 
Anastomus  lamelligerus , comprising 
many  thousands  of  individuals,  were 
found  in  Phragmites  in  the  northern 
part  of  the  Okavango  Delta  between 
August  and  October. 

In  December-January  some 
114,970  waterbirds  were  counted 
throughout  Botswana.  Almost 
95,000  of  these  were  in  the 
Okavango  Delta  with  more  than  half 
(58,500)  at  Lake  Ngami.  Of  particu- 
lar significance  at  that  lake  were 
5,200  Great  White  Pelicans  Pelecanus 
onocrotalus,  980  Greater  Flamingos 
Phoenicopterus  {ruber)  roseus , 20,000 
Red-billed  Teal  Anas  erythrorhyncha , 
4,750  Knob-billed  Ducks 
Sarkidiornis  melanotos , 4,200  Black- 
winged Stilts  Himantopus 
himantopus , 1,000  Black-winged 
Pratincoles  Glareola  nordmanni , 500 
Caspian  Plovers  Charadrius  asiaticus 
and  240  Whiskered  Terns  Chlidonias 
hybrida.  Amongst  the  many  waders 
on  the  mudflats  were  21  Black-tailed 
Godwits  Limosa  limosa  and  two 
Eurasian  Curlews  Numenius  arquata , 
plus  at  various  times  Ruddy 
Turnstone  Arenaria  interpres, 
Common  Redshank  Tringa  totanus , 
Lesser  Yellowlegs  77  flavipes  and 
Terek  Sandpiper  Xenus  cinereus  (the 
latter  three  still  being  adjudicated  by 
the  records  committee).  Throughout 
the  delta  a total  of  233  Slaty  Egrets 
Egretta  vinaceigula  was  seen,  includ- 
ing one  flock  of  63.  The 
Thamalakane  and  Boteti  rivers  also 
supported  large  numbers  of  birds 
(14,036)  and  of  particular  note  were 
1 ,666  Fulvous  Whistling  Ducks 
Dendrocygna  bicolor,  543  White- 
backed  Ducks  Thalassornis  leuconotus , 
1,150  Southern  Pochards  Netta  ery- 
throphthalma , three  or  four  Ospreys 
Pandion  haliaetus,  a Eurasian  Curlew, 
four  Whimbrel  Numenius  phaeopus,  a 
Ruddy  Turnstone  and  23  African 


Skimmers  Rynchops  flavirostris.  Two 
more  Ospreys  and  three  single  Green 
Sandpipers  Tringa  ochropus  were  at 
various  sites  in  the  delta.  The  Chobe 
River  floodplain  produced  three 
Black-tailed  Godwits  amongst  6,500 
waterbirds  in  January,  and  two 
Denham’s  Bustards  Neotis  denhami 
{CB  dr  ST). 

In  the  Makgadikgadi  Greater  and 
Lesser  Flamingos  Phoeniconaias 
minor  were  breeding  in  January.  Also 
of  note  in  the  north  of  Sua  Pan  were 
six  Grey  Crowned  Cranes  Balearica 
regulorum,  a Lesser  Black-backed 
Gull  Larus  fuscus  and  63  Caspian 
Terns  Sterna  caspia.  At  Letsibogo 
Dam,  in  eastern  Botswana,  there  was 
yet  another  Osprey  in  January.  In  the 
south-east,  Bokaa  Dam  produced 
300  Black-winged  Pratincoles,  a 
Black-tailed  Godwit,  a Ruddy 
Turnstone  and  a Terek  Sandpiper  in 
December-January,  and  two  African 
Skimmers  at  the  end  of  February — a 
very  unusual  species  in  southern 
Botswana  {CB  & ST). 

Other  records,  not  yet  accepted  by 
the  records  committee,  all  in 
October-February,  include 
Botswana’s  second  Garganey  Anas 
querquedula  at  Lake  Ngami  on  23 
February  {AC  & FC  per  777),  a 
Greater  Spotted  Eagle  Aquila  clanga 
near  Kasane,  an  Augur  Buzzard  Buteo 
augur  and  a Spotted  Redshank 
Tringa  erythropus  on  the  Limpopo,  a 
Pectoral  Sandpiper  Calidris  melanotos 
at  Bokaa  Dam,  a pair  of  Crowned 
Hornbills  Tockus  alboterminatus  and 
Angola  Swallows  Hirundo  angolensis 
in  the  Linyanti  and  at  Kazungula 
{CB  & ST),  and  a Whinchat  Saxicola 
rubetra  at  Kasane  on  17  February 
{AC  & FC  per  777).  In  March,  an 
adult  Egyptian  Vulture  Neophron  per- 
cnopterus  was  seen  at  Stevensford 
Lodge,  on  the  Limpopo  River,  on 
19th  {JE),  a Black-tailed  Godwit  in 
Chobe  National  Park  on  6th  (JB)  and 
a Pectoral  Sandpiper  at  Stanley’s 
Camp,  in  the  Okavango,  on  13th 
(7177). 

Burkina  Faso 

In  February  2005,  two  Desert  Eagle 
Owls  Bubo  {bubo)  ascalaphus,  proba- 
bly a pair,  were  photographed  in  the 


178  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Recent  Reports 


Markoye  area,  in  the  extreme  north- 
east; the  first  record  for  the  country 

(GL). 

Cameroon 

In  November  2004-May  2005,  the 
following  records  were  reported.  At 
least  ten  Great  White  Pelicans 
Pelecanus  onocrotalus  and  a Gull- 
billed Tern  Gelochelidon  nilotica  were 
observed  off  Pelican  Island,  in  the 
Bakassi  lagoon  area,  on  17  March 
(RS).  A Black  Stork  Ciconia  nigra 
seen  at  Ngaoundaba  on  17  February 
appears  to  be  the  third  record  for 
Cameroon,  at  a new  locality  ( NB ). 
Eight  White-faced  Whistling  Ducks 
Dendrocygna  viduata  were  at 
Bamenda  town  on  24  May  (JvdW). 
About  ten  Common  Teal  Anas  crecca 
and  three  Northern  Shovelers  A. 
clypeata  were  counted  in  Waza  NP 
(=National  Park)  on  14  February; 
there  are  few  records  for  the  country 
(NB).  At  least  ten  Yellow-billed 
Ducks  A.  undulata  were  at 
Bamendjing  Reservoir,  near 
Bamenda,  on  22  December;  this  is  a 
rare  species  in  Cameroon  (RS). 

A juvenile  Eurasian  Griffon 
Vulture  Gyps  fulvus  was  claimed  from 
the  Bui  Valley  c.10  km  south-east  of 
Kumbo,  North  West  Province,  on  18 
February;  the  first  for  Cameroon  if 
accepted.  A Tawny  Eagle  Aquila 
rapax  was  seen  above  Kumbo  on  29 
November  and  another  at  Babungo, 
near  Ndop,  on  6 March;  the  species 
is  rather  common  in  the  far  north, 
but  much  less  so  further  south  (RS). 
A juvenile  Eastern  Imperial  Eagle  A. 
heliaca , perched  near  a smaller  Tawny 
Eagle,  was  identified  in  Waza  NP  on 
14  February;  the  streaky  plumage, 
elongated  spots  or  streaks  on  the 
wing-coverts  and  pale  rump  were 
noted.  There  have  been  at  least  three 
previous  records  in  the  far  north,  the 
first  in  November  1993  (NB).  A 
Booted  Eagle  Hieraaetus  pennatus 
flew  over  Kumbo  on  16  April  (RS). 
Falcons  included  a male  Lesser 
Kestrel  Falco  naumanni,  a rare  visitor, 
by  the  Campement  de  Waza  on  14 
February  (NB),  a pair  of  Red-necked 
Falcons  F.  chicquera  in  Bamenda 
town  on  24  May  (JvdW)  and  an 


adult  Barbary  Falcon  F.  pelegrinoides 
near  Kumbo  on  22  November  (RS). 

In  grasslands  north  of  Kumbo,  a 
Common  Quail  Coturnix  coturnix 
was  found  on  27  December  and  a 
Little  Buttonquail  Turnix  sylvaticus 
on  26  April  (RS).  An  Egyptian 
Plover  Pluvianus  aegyptius  foraged  on 
a sandbank  in  the  Cross  River  at 
Mamfe  on  7 December  (RS).  At  least 
50  Grey-headed  Gulls  Larus  cirro- 
cephalus  were  counted  at  Bamalang 
Reservoir,  near  Ndop,  on  30  April. 
Also  there  was  a White-winged  Tern 
Chlidonias  leucopterus  (RS).  A single 
Whiskered  Tern  C.  hybrida  was  in 
Waza  NP  on  14  February  (NB).  At 
least  six  Mottled  Swifts  Tachymarptis 
aequatorialis  were  hawking  over  a 
small  lake  at  Mbalmayo,  near 
Yaounde,  on  1 April  (RV).  A pair  of 
Forest  Wood-hoopoes  Phoeniculus 
castaneiceps,  consisting  of  a green- 
headed and  a brown-headed  individ- 
ual, was  sighted  near  Yaounde  on  21 
February;  this  rather  uncommon 
species  is  at  the  edge  of  its  range  here 
(NB).  A Eurasian  Wryneck  Jynx 
torquilla  was  noted  near  Kumbo  on 
1 9 December;  there  are  few  records 
in  Cameroon  (RS). 

A Red-throated  Pipit  Anthus  cerv- 
inus  in  breeding  plumage  was  noted 
at  Manenguba  Crater  Lake  on  25 
March  (RS)  and  a Grey-rumped 
Swallow  Pseudhirundo  griseopyga  at 
Tuba,  near  Bamenda,  on  19  May 
(JvdW).  Single  Western  Olivaceous 
Warblers  Hippolais  (pallida)  opaca 
were  identified  (no  tail-pumping 
movements)  at  Garoua  on  1 5 
February  and  in  Benoue  NP  on 
18-19  February.  An  Eastern 
Olivaceous  Warbler  Hippolais  pallida 
in  Douala  on  1 1 February  was  pre- 
sumably a wandering  Palearctic 
migrant;  apparently  Cameroon’s 
southernmost  record.  Five  hyliotas 
seen  well  at  Kodmin  on  4 April 
appeared  to  be  Southern  Hyliotas 
Hyliota  australis  rather  than  the  previ- 
ously claimed  Yellow-bellied  Hyliota 
H.  flavigaster,  a specimen  of  Southern 
Hyliota  has  been  collected  in  the 
nearby  Rumpi  Hills  (NB). 

At  least  six  Chestnut-bellied 
Starlings  Lamprotornis  pulcher  com- 
ing to  roost  at  Ngaoundaba  each 


evening  of  22-27  January  would 
constitute  the  southernmost  record 
for  the  country  (RS).  A female  Rock 
Firefinch  Lagonosticta  sanguinodorsalis 
was  seen  briefly  but  well  (the  bluish 
bill  and  grey  head  contrasting  with 
the  reddish  back  were  noted)  in  the 
Maroua  area  on  14  February;  this  is  a 
first  for  Cameroon  and  constitutes  a 
slight  eastward  range  extension  from 
the  Mandara  Mountains  in  Nigeria 
(NB).  An  Exclamatory  Paradise 
Whydah  Vidua  interjecta  was  at 
Bamendjing  Reservoir,  near 
Bamenda,  on  22  December  (RS). 
What  was  presumably  a juvenile 
Streaky-headed  Seedeater  Serinus 
gularis  (sometimes  split  as  West 
African  Seedeater  S.  canicapillus)  was 
found  at  Ngaoundaba,  and  a pair  in 
Benoue  NP,  where  there  are  very  few 
records  of  this  rather  uncommon 
species  (NB). 

Canary  Islands 

Records  from  November  2004-April 
2005  include  three  additions  to  the 
archipelago’s  list.  A first-winter  Grey- 
headed Gull  Larus  cirrocephalus  was 
in  Las  Palmas  harbour,  Gran  Canaria, 
on  2 February;  the  nearest  breeding 
colony  is  at  the  Banc  d’Arguin, 
Mauritania,  almost  1,000  km  to  the 
south  (per  Birding  World  18:  104). 
The  first  Northern  Mockingbird 
Mimus  polyglottos  was  reported  from 
Arguinegufn,  Gran  Canaria,  in  late 
March;  this  American  vagrant  had 
apparently  been  present  from 
November  2004  and  remained  until 
mid  April  at  least  (per  Birdwatch  155: 
76  & 156:  78;  per  Dutch  Birding  27: 
217).  The  first  White-crowned 
Wheatear  Oenanthe  leucopyga  was 
photographed  at  Fuencaliente,  La 
Palma,  on  1 1 January  (per  Birding 
World  18:  60;  per  Dutch  Birding  27: 
143). 

Other  noteworthy  records  from 
the  period  include  the  following.  A 
presumed  hybrid  Western  Reef 
Heron  Egretta  gularis  w Litde  Egret 
E.  garzetta  was  at  Aldea  Blanca,  Gran 
Canaria,  on  18  February.  Sixteen 
Ruddy  Shelducks  Tadorna  ferruginea 
were  counted  at  Los  Molinos 
Reservoir,  Fuerteventura,  on  6 
February  (per  Birding  World  18:  60). 


Recent  Reports 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  - 179 


A male  American  Wigeon  Anas  amer- 
icana  was  at  Aldea  Blanca,  Gran 
Canaria,  on  1 March- 1 April,  whilst 
a male  Green-winged  Teal  A.  ( crecca :) 
carolinensis  was  at  Las  Americas 
Reservoir,  Tenerife,  on  28  March  (per 
Birding  World  18:  153).  Two  male 
Ring-necked  Ducks  Aythya  collaris 
were  at  Catalina  Garcia, 
Fuerteventura,  on  15-18  December 
(per  Birding  World  17:  498). 

A Short-toed  Snake  Eagle  Circaetus 
gallicus  reached  La  Pardilla,  Las 
Palmas,  Gran  Canaria,  on  14 
November.  On  14  January,  an 
exhausted  juvenile  Pallid  Harrier 
Circus  macrourus  was  picked  up  alive 
and  taken  into  care  at  Mesa  Mota, 
Tenerife  (per  Dutch  Birding  TJ\ 
59-63).  A Booted  Eagle  Hieraaetus 
pennatus  was  at  El  Fraile,  Tenerife,  on 
28  March.  On  31  March,  a male 
Little  Crake  Porzana  parva  was 
found  at  Arminime  Reservoirs  (per 
Birding  World  18:  153).  A Spotted 
Sandpiper  Actitis  macularius  at 
Salinas  de  Fuencaliente  on  29 
November  was  the  second  for  La 
Palma  (per  Dutch  Birding  27: 

59-63).  In  February,  an  adult 
Audouin’s  Gull  Lams  audouinii  was 
seen  at  Salinas  del  Carmen, 
Fuerteventura,  on  5th  and  a first- 
winter  Ring-billed  Gull  L.  delawaren- 
sis  at  Roquito  del  Fraile,  Tenerife,  on 
3rd,  and  also  at  Las  Galletas  on 
26—31  March  (per  Birding  World  18: 
60  & 153).  On  La  Palma,  a Red- 
rumped  Swallow  Hirundo  daurica , 
reported  at  Todoque  on  1 8 
November,  was  the  first  for  the 
island,  whilst  a Meadow  Pipit  Anthus 
pratensis  on  1 5-24  November  and  a 
first-winter  Red-throated  Pipit  A. 
cervinus  on  1 7-2 1 November  at  Los 
Llanos  de  Aridane  were  rarities  (per 
Dutch  Birding  27:  59-63). 

Cape  Verde  Islands 

In  December  2004-January  2005 
five  species  were  added  to  the  archi- 
pelago list.  A male  Eurasian  Wigeon 
Anas  penelope  and  a pair  of  American 
Wigeon  A.  americana  were  at  Casas 
Velhas,  Maio,  on  31  December.  Male 
Green-winged  Teal  A.  ( crecca ) caroli- 
nensis were  observed  at  Mindelo 
sewage  works,  Sao  Vicente,  from  1 8 


December  to  13  January  at  least 
(one)  and  Pedro  Badejo,  Santiago,  on 
4 January  (two).  Also  at  Mindelo, 

Sao  Vicente,  a Spotted  Crake 
Porzana  porzana  was  sighted  on  1 3 
January.  The  first  White-crowned 
Wheatear  Oenanthe  leucopyga  for  the 
islands  was  a first-winter  at  Fort  Real 
near  Cidade  Velha,  Santiago,  on  1 6 
January. 

Other  records  from  the  same  peri- 
od include  the  following.  A total  of 
278  Fea’s  Petrels  Pterodroma  feae  was 
seen  flying  east  past  Ponta  do  Sol, 
Santo  Antao,  in  two  hours  on  26 
December.  A male  Magnificent 
Frigatebird  Fregata  magnificens  was  at 
Ilheu  de  Curral  Velho,  Boavista,  on 
1 0 January,  with  a male  and  a female 
there  on  12th.  A dark-morph 
Western  Reef  Heron  Egretta  gularis 
was  at  Ribeira  Grande,  Santo  Antao, 
on  26  December,  with  a pale  morph 
at  Praia,  Santiago,  from  28th  until  5 
January  at  least.  Two  unringed  first- 
winter  Eurasian  Spoonbills  Platalea 
leucorodia  were  at  Mindelo,  Sao 
Vicente,  on  17-18  December,  whilst 
a colour-ringed  first-winter  was  at 
Praia,  Santiago,  on  16  January. 
Interesting  duck  records  included  a 
Northern  Pintail  Anas  acuta  at 
Calheta,  Maio,  on  30  December  (sec- 
ond record),  a Tufted  Duck  Aythya 
fuligula  at  Pedro  Badejo,  Santiago,  on 
4 January  (third  record),  and  a Lesser 
Scaup  A.  ajfinis  at  Mindelo,  Sao 
Vicente,  on  13  January  (second 
record).  On  Maio,  an  immature 
Montagu’s  Harrier  Circus  pygargus  at 
Morrinho  on  30  December  would  be 
the  second  record  if  accepted;  there 
are  five  records  of  unidentified  C. 
pygargus!  macrourus. 

At  Morrinho,  Maio,  an  American 
Golden  Plover  Pluvialis  dominica  was 
seen  on  18-21  December  and  five 
Common  Snipe  Gallinago  gallinago 
on  18th.  Other  wader  records  includ- 
ed a Spotted  Redshank  Tringa  ery- 
thropus  at  Ribeira  dom  Joao,  Maio, 
on  3 1 December,  a Solitary 
Sandpiper  T.  solitaria  at  Mindelo 
sewage  works,  Sao  Vicente,  from  17 
December  until  13  January  at  least 
(and  again  on  15-16  April;  second 
record),  and  a Green  Sandpiper  T. 
ochropus  at  Morrinho,  Maio,  on 


17-28  December.  A first-winter 
Slender-billed  Gull  Larus  genei  at 
Feijoal  Lagoa,  Sal,  on  12  January,  and 
a first-winter  Ring-billed  Gull  L. 
delawarensis  at  Mindelo,  Sao  Vicente, 
on  17-28  December,  were  both  sec- 
ond records.  Two  Gull-billed  Terns 
Gelochelidon  nilotica  were  seen  at 
Calheta,  Maio,  on  30  December-2 
January  (second  record),  whilst  a 
Caspian  Tern  Sterna  caspia  was 
observed  at  Casa  Velhas,  Maio,  on 
30-31  December.  Also  on  Maio,  a 
captive  Barn  Owl  Tyto  alba  that  was 
close  to  fledging  on  1 January  had 
been  taken  as  a chick  from  a cave  east 
of  Morro  and  thus  represented  both 
the  first  record  for  the  island  and  an 
addition  to  the  breeding  list  (per 
Dutch  Birding  27:  56-63,  213-214; 
per  Birding  World  18:  15). 

March  2005  produced  the  fol- 
lowing records.  A male  Magnificent 
Frigatebird  was  at  Curral  Velho, 
Boavista,  on  4 March  and  an  adult 
female  flew  over  Sal  Rei  harbour  on 
22nd.  The  only  remaining  colony  of 
Cape  Verde  Purple  Heron  Ardea 
[purpurea)  bournei,  in  a single  tree  at 
Liberao,  Santiago,  had  eight  juveniles 
on  1 March;  three  juveniles  were 
reported  to  have  died  in  February 
(two  were  killed  by  children  and  one 
fell  from  the  tree).  On  Boavista,  a 
Purple  Heron  A.  purpurea , apparent- 
ly not  of  the  form  bournei , was  at 
Rabil  Lagoon  on  23rd  and  25th, 
whilst  an  adult  Black-crowned  Night 
Heron  Nycticorax  nycticorax  was  in  a 
riverbed  upstream  from  Rabil  on 
26th.  A male  Green-winged  Teal  and 
a female  Lesser  Scaup  Aythya  affinis 
were  observed  at  Mindelo  sewage 
ponds,  Sao  Vicente,  on  13th. 

Resident  raptors  seen  included 
Egyptian  Vulture  Neophron  perc- 
nopterus  (an  immature,  three 
subadults  and  1-2  adults  at  Sal  Rei 
on  22nd),  Cape  Verde  Buzzard  Buteo 
(buteo)  bannermanni  (one  in  Ribeira 
de  Torres,  near  Vila  de  Ribeira 
Grande,  Santo  Antao,  on  24th)  and 
Cape  Verde  Peregrine  Falco  ( peregri - 
nus)  madens  (two  at  Mindelo  sewage 
ponds,  Sao  Vicente  on  16th).  Single 
Gull-billed  Terns  (the  same  individ- 
ual?) were  seen  on  Boa  Vista  at  Sal 
Rei  harbour  and  Rabil  lagoon  on 


180  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Recent  Reports 


22nd-26th,  whilst  a Little  Tern 
Sterna  albifrons  was  at  Rabil  lagoon 
on  26th.  A single  male  Spanish 
Sparrow  Passer  hispaniolensis  at  Sao 
Pedro  airport  on  13th  was  the  only 
record  on  Sao  Vicente;  the  species 
was  not  seen  on  Santo  Antao,  but 
was  quite  common  on  Sao  Nicolau, 
Santiago  and  Boa  Vista  ( PoS ; per 
Dutch  Birding  27:  21 1). 

Central  African  Republic 

The  following  records  are  from  the 
area  around  the  village  of  Djoubissi, 
c.70  km  north  of  Bambari,  in  the 
centre,  from  the  period  September 
2004-March  2005.  Additions  to  the 
country  list  are  Long-legged  Buzzard 
Buteo  rufinus , recorded  on  7 
November  (one)  and  9 November 
(two),  Grasshopper  Warbler 
Locustella  naevia , on  5 December, 
Isabelline  Shrike  Lanius  isabellinus , 
on  1 December,  and  Wattled 
Starling  Creatophora  cinerea,  on  12 
December. 

Other  interesting  records,  as  com- 
pared to  the  distribution  maps  in 
Field  Guide  to  the  Birds  of  Western 
Africa  (Borrow  & Demey  2004), 
include  Pallid  Harrier  Circus  macrou- 
rus  on  28  November  and  27 
February,  Montagu’s  Harrier  C. 
pygargus  on  12  December,  4,  11  and 
17  February  and  6 March,  Fox 
Kestrel  Falco  alopex  on  17  February, 
Spotted  Thick-knee  Burhinus  capen- 
sis,  four  records  in  November  and 
February  (at  least  four  pairs  in  the 
area),  Great  Snipe  Gallinago  media 
on  27  October  and  1 November, 
Ross’s  Turaco  Musophaga  rossae 
(common  resident),  Black-headed 
Bee-eater  Merops  breweri , six  records 
in  November  and  February  (at  least 
three  pairs),  Swallow- tailed  Bee-eater 
M.  hirundineus  on  13  (two)  and  26 
February,  Grey-rumped  Swallow 
Pseudhirundo  griseopyga  (common), 
Red-rumped  Swallow  Hirundo  dauri- 
ca,  four  records  in 
November-December,  White 
Wagtail  Motacilla  alba  on  25-26 
November  and  2 December,  Golden 
Greenbul  Calyptocichla  serina  on  9 
November  (three),  White-browed 
Robin  Chat  Cossypha  heuglini  on  4 
February,  Common  Redstart 


Phoenicurus  phoenicurus , three 
records,  Common  Rock  Thrush 
Monticola  saxatilis  on  12  December, 
Zitting  Cisticola  Cisticola  juncidis, 
uncommon,  Lemon-bellied  Crombec 
Sylvietta  denti , two  records,  Common 
Whitethroat  Sylvia  communis  on  12 
December,  and  a male  Collared 
Flycatcher  Ficedula  albicollis  in 
breeding  plumage  on  20  March 

(NV). 


Congo-Brazzaville 

The  most  remarkable  observation  was 
made  at  Lac  Tele  in  January  2005, 
where  large  flocks  of  Weyns’s 
Weavers  Ploceus  weynsi , totalling  at 
least  5,000  birds,  were  assembling 
every  evening  just  outside  Epena 
before  flying  to  roost  in  scrubby  fal- 
low fields  a few  kilometres  away.  The 
species  was  also  observed  on  the 
western  border  of  the  reserve  on  the 
Bailly  River  (HR).  This  constitutes  a 
new  species  for  the  country  and  west- 
ern Africa,  although  its  occurrence  is 
perhaps  unsurprising  as  it  has  been 
recorded  on  the  other  side  of  the 
Congo  River  in  DR  Congo,  from 
Mbandaka  to  Bumba.  In 
February-March,  Common  Cuckoos 
Cuculus  canorus , among  them  rufous 
individuals,  were  seen  c.15  times  in 
the  Lac  Tele  Community  Reserve; 
this  is  also  an  addition  to  the  coun- 
try’s list.  Yet  another  first  is 
Wahlberg’s  Honeybird  Prodotiscus 
regains , of  which  two  were  seen  on 
the  road  between  Impfondo  and 
Epena  on  2 May;  they  were  poking 
around  cavities  in  a large  dead  tree 
hosting  Grey-throated  Barbets 
Gymnobucco  bonapartei.  The  white, 
black-tipped  outer  tail-feathers,  uni- 
form dark  brown  upperparts,  grey 
underparts  and  sharp  bill  were  noted. 
This  species  has  not  been  recorded 
anywhere  near  north  Congo,  but  has 
a disjunct  distribution  over  much  of 
western  Africa  {RV). 

Other  records  of  interest  from  the 
Lac  Tele  area  include  the  following. 

A Great  Cormorant  Phalacrocorax 
carbo  (the  snow-white  throat,  breast 
and  belly  were  noted)  was  claimed  40 
km  east  of  Epena  on  28  April;  this 
species  has  previously  only  been  seen 
on  the  coast  {RV).  Twelve  Marabou 


Storks  Leptoptilos  crumeniferus  were 
moving  north  on  22-23  January;  the 
species  is  quite  rare  here  as  it  is  large 
and  edible.  During  annual  waterbird 
counts  in  late  February  it  was  often 
seen  with  Woolly-necked  Storks 
Ciconia  episcopus , over  80  of  which 
were  observed  on  20  March  with 
both  Marabou  and  Yellow-billed 
Storks  Mycteria  ibis.  Montagu’s 
Harriers  Circus  pygargus  were  seen  at 
three  sites  in  late  January-early 
February.  A Peregrine  Falcon  Falco 
peregrinus  flew  past  Epena  on  5 
January.  In  early  January  Great  Snipe 
Gallinago  media  were  quite  common 
in  burnt  grassland;  by  the  end  of  the 
month  they  had  moved  on,  possibly 
to  other  areas  in  the  extensive  grass- 
land savanna  in  the  reserve  (one  was 
seen  further  south  on  20  February). 

A Western  (=Eurasian)  Marsh  Harrier 
Circus  aeruginosus  was  seen  mobbing 
an  African  Grass  Owl  Tyto  capensis , 
whereas  another  Western  Marsh 
Harrier  was  being  mobbed  by  a pair 
of  Marsh  Owls  Asio  capensis  on  5 
January,  suggesting  they  were  breed- 
ing in  the  dry  season  {HR).  A Grey- 
rumped  Swallow  Pseudhirundo 
griseopyga  was  observed  at  Dongou, 

50  km  north  of  Impfondo,  on  30 
April  and  a Wire-tailed  Swallow 
Hirundo  smithii  2 km  south  of 
Impfondo  on  2 May  (i?V).  Congo 
Sunbird  Cinnyris  congensis  was  found 
to  be  fairly  common  around  Epena 

{HR). 

A belated  report  was  received  of  a 
Lesser  Spotted  Eagle  Aquila  pomari- 
na  along  the  Bas-Kouilou  road,  near 
Pointe-Noire,  on  24  May  2003;  the 
only  previous  records  are  from 
Odzala  and  near  Bomassa.  Also  in 
the  Pointe-Noire  area,  three  Greater 
Painted-snipe  Rostratula  benghalensis 
and  a White-browed  Coucal 
Centropus  superciliosus  were  seen  at  a 
wetland  on  19  April  2005.  Bob- 
tailed Weaver  Brachycope  anomala 
was  recorded  adjacent  to  the  cataracts 
of  the  Congo  River  at  Brazzaville  on 
4 May;  this  is  the  southernmost 
record  in  the  country  {RV). 

Egypt 

Records  from  the  period  December 
2004-March  2005  include  the  fol- 


Recent  Reports 


Bull  ABC  Vo!  12  No  2 (2005) -181 


lowing.  A White-breasted  Kingfisher 

Halcyon  smyrnensis  was  at  Nuweiba, 
south  Sinai,  on  23  December  (per 
Birding  World  18:  16).  In  January, 
four  Namaqua  Doves  Oena  capensis 
were  reported  at  Kom  Ombo,  a 
Greater  Spotted  Eagle  Aquila  clanga 
and  cA 0 White-tailed  Lapwings 
Vanellus  leucurus  along  the  Nile  on 
27th,  a male  Pied  Wheatear 
Oenanthe  pleschanka  at  Abu  Simbel 
on  24-2 5th  and  an  Isabelline  Shrike 
Lanius  isabellinus  at  Crocodile  Island, 
Luxor,  on  29th  ( TH).  A male 
Caspian  Plover  Charadrius  asiaticus 
was  at  El  Gouna  on  14  March  (per 
Dutch  Birding  27:  142). 

Records  from  April  2005  include 
two  Pink-backed  Pelicans  Pelecanus 
rufescens  and  1 5 Yellow-billed  Storks 
Mycteria  ibis  at  Lake  Nasser  on 
6-7 th,  an  immature  Greater  Spotted 
Eagle  at  Ain  Sukhna  on  17th,  a 
summer-plumaged  Broad-billed 
Sandpiper  Limicola  falcinellus  at  a 
fish  pond  near  Lake  Faiyum  on  20th, 
a Namaqua  Dove  at  Flurghada  on 
13th,  an  adult  Desert  Eagle  Owl 
Bubo  {bubo)  ascalaphus  with  a chick 
at  Steppe  pyramid,  Saqqara,  on  1 9th, 
a Citrine  Wagtail  Motacilla  citreola  at 
Nuweiba,  on  22nd,  and  a 
female/immature  Red- tailed 
Wheatear  Oenanthe  xanthoprymna  at 
St  Katherine  on  17th  {EF &AR). 

Ethiopia 

The  following  records  are  from 
November  2004-February  2005. 
Western  Reef  Herons  Egretta  gularis 
were  found  at  Lake  Ziway  on  6 
January  (one),  at  Awash  NP 
(=National  Park)  on  16  January  (one) 
and  at  Lake  Basaka  on  14  January 
(two)  {EF)  and  6-8  February  (one) 
{CE).  Single  Levant  Sparrowhawks 
Accipiter  brevipes  were  claimed  from 
Sof  Omar  on  26  January,  from  the 
Genale  River,  Wadera,  on  28  January 
{EF),  near  Yabello  on  17  February 
and  east  of  Yabello,  on  the  road  to 
Negele,  on  18  February  {CE).  Long- 
legged  Buzzards  Buteo  rufinus  were 
seen  between  Wondo  Genet  and  the 
Bale  Mountains  on  7 January  (three), 
near  the  Bale  Mountains  on  25th 
(two)  and  near  Goba  on  28th  (one). 
An  adult  Eastern  Imperial  Eagle 


Aquila  heliaca  was  seen  in  Awash  NP 
on  1 6 January  and  another  near 
Awassa  on  24th.  In  the  Bale 
Mountains,  single  Golden  Eagles  A. 
chrysaetos  were  seen  on  25  and  27 
January.  In  November,  20  Saker 
Falcons  Ealco  cherrug  were  counted  in 
a single  day  between  Awash  NP  and 
Addis  Ababa  {SR).  One  was  mobbed 
by  a pair  of  Lanner  Falcons  F.  biarmi- 
cus  near  the  Bale  Mts  on  25  January 
{EF). 

A Jack  Snipe  Lymnocryptes  min- 
imus was  seen  at  Lake  Langano  on  13 
January  and  a first- winter  Slender- 
billed  Gull  Larus  genei  at  Lake 
Basaka  next  day.  Two  Star-spotted 
Nightjars  Caprimulgus  stellatus  were 
found  at  Awash  NP  on  15  January. 
Also  there  was  a first-winter  male 
Sardinian  Warbler  Sylvia 
melanocephala,  with  another  below 
Ankober  escarpment  on  7 February. 
Two  Grey-headed  Silverbills 
Odontospiza  griseicapilla  were  at 
Yabello  on  12  January  {EF). 

Gabon 

Four  European  Nightjars 

Caprimulgus  europaeus  were  on  the 
outskirts  of  Lambarene  on  30 
November  2004  (. RV). 

The  Gambia 

Records  from  the  period  October 
2004-April  2005  include  the  follow- 
ing. A male  Little  Bittern  Ixobrychus 
minutus  of  the  Palearctic  race  was 
observed  at  Marakissa,  Western 
Division,  on  14  January.  An  Abdim’s 
Stork  Ciconia  abdimii  soared  over 
Sabi  on  16  November  {KR)  and 
another  over  Dobbo  Forest  Park, 
north  of  the  river,  Central  River  , 
Division,  on  21  April  {CBa).  A pair 
of  Shikras  Accipiter  badius  was 
observed  nest-building  at 
Georgetown,  Central  River  Division 
on  23  April;  the  only  previous  proven 
breeding  record  was  at  Abuko  Nature 
Reserve,  Western  Division,  in 
April-June  1999  {Bull.  ABC  8: 

44 — 45).  A Short-toed  Snake  Eagle 
Circaetus  gallicus  flew  over  Prufu 
Swamp,  Basse,  Upper  River  Division, 
on  31  October  {KR),  and  a juvenile 
Beaudouin’s  Snake  Eagle  C.  beau- 
douini  over  Kunkilling  Forest  Park, 


Central  River  Division,  on  25  April 
{CBa).  At  Marakissa,  Western 
Division,  a male  Spotted  Crake 
Porzana  porzana  was  seen  on  14 
January;  according  to  A Field  Guide 
to  Birds  of  The  Gambia  and  Senegal 
(Barlow  et  al.  1 997)  the  last  docu- 
mented record  is  of  one  heard  in 
1988  {NB).  An  Allens  Gallinule 
Porphyrio  alleni  in  non-breeding 
plumage  was  at  Sapu,  Central  River 
Division,  on  9 April  {CBa  & KR).  An 
unusual  record  from  Kai  Hai  Island 
on  the  Gambia  River  on  26  March 
involved  an  African  Finfoot  Podica 
senegalensis  foraging  around  the  rump 
of  a partially  submerged  cow  hippo 
with  calf.  At  one  point  the  finfoot 
continued  to  forage  whilst  perched 
on  the  cow  {CBa). 

Two  or  three  Savile’s  Bustards 
Eupodotis  savilei  were  singing  at  Saba, 
North  Bank  Division,  on  26  April; 
the  species  is  generally  thought  to  be 
vocal  only  in  the  rains  but  this  record 
and  others  from  late  January  suggest 
it  sings  in  all  seasons  {CBa).  A 
Franklin’s  Gull  Larus  pipixcan  was  at 
Banjul,  on  the  beach  behind  Albert 
Market,  on  8-9  February  (Fig.  2) 

(. EW)  until  1 5 March  at  least  (per 
JT).  Two  adult  Kelp  Gulls  L.  domini- 
canus  were  recorded  on  Bijol  Islands, 
Western  Division,  on  30  January,  and 
another  two  atTanji  on  10  February 
(Fig.  1)  {EW).  The  first  Bridled  Tern 
Sterna  anaethetus  for  The  Gambia 
was  identified  on  Bijol  Islands  on  24 
March  {JH ).  A Shining-blue 
Kingfisher  Alcedo  quadribrachys,  a 
rare  species  in  The  Gambia,  was  seen 
on  Georgetown  waterfront  on  23 
March  {CBa). 

A Banded  Martin  Riparia  cincta 
was  at  Kunkilling,  Central  River 
Division,  on  7 February  amongst  a 
large  group  of  Common  Sand 
Martins  R.  riparia-,  there  are  few  pre- 
vious Gambian  records  {CBa). 
Bluethroats  Luscinia  svecica  cyanecula 
were  regularly  seen  at  Prufu  Swamp, 
Basse,  Upper  River  Division,  in 
January-February,  with  a maximum 
of  three  individuals  on  9 February;  all 
were  males  in  full  breeding  plumage 
{KR).  A female  in  fresh  plumage  was 
seen  at  Sapu,  Central  River  Division, 
on  9 April  {CBa  & KR).  The  first 


182  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Recent  Reports 


Desert  Sparrows  Passer  simplex  for 
the  country  were  photographed  in 
December  near  Illisa,  North  Bank 
Division  (per  JT).  A group  of  c. 25 
Bar-breasted  Firefinches  Lagonosticta 
rufopicta  was  seen  north  of  the  river 
near  Wassu,  Central  River  Division, 
on  18  February  ( CBa ) and  a further 
six  at  Sapu  on  9 April  ( CBa  &KR); 
these  are  the  first  records  of  groups  of 
this  species  in  The  Gambia  for  over  a 
decade.  Also  at  Sapu  on  9 April, 
three  Zebra  Waxbills  Sporaeginthus 
subflavus  were  observed  ( CBa  & KR). 
A Sahel  Paradise  Whydah  Vidua  ori- 
entalis  in  eclipse  plumage  mimicking 
Green-winged  Pytilia  Pytilia  melba 
was  heard  at  Kunkilling,  Central 
River  Division,  on  9 April  and 
sound-recorded  on  20th,  with  an 
Exclamatory  Paradise  Whydah  V 
interjecta  mimicking  Red-winged 
Pytilia  P.  phoenicoptera  also  there;  no 
pytilias  have  yet  been  found  at  this 
site  {CBa). 

A belated  report  was  received  of 
single  first-winter  Laughing  Gulls 
Larus  atricilla  observed  at  Tanji  on  16 
January  2003  and  on  Bund  Road  on 
19th  (AS). 

Ghana 

Records  from  July  2004-May  2005 
include  the  following.  On  20 
February,  Common  Shelducks 
Tadorna  tadorna  were  sighted  at 
Panbros  salt  works,  Densu  Delta 
(one)  and  Sakumo  Lagoon  (five); 
there  are  apparently  only  two  or  three 
previous  records  for  Ghana,  also  near 
Accra  {AH  & CP).  A Bat  Hawk 
Macheiramphus  alcinus  was  seen  from 
the  canopy  walkway,  Kakum  NP 
(=National  Park),  on  11  December.  A 
Eurasian  Oystercatcher  Haematopus 
ostralegus  was  at  Pram  Estuary  on  20 
July,  with  a Terek  Sandpiper  Xenus 
cinereus  also  there  that  day  and  on  22 
February,  and  another  two  at  the 
Densu  Delta  on  3 April;  this  species 
is  usually  reported  as  a vagrant,  but 
may  well  occur  annually  in  small 
numbers.  A Red-necked  Phalarope 
Phalaropus  lobatus  at  Sakumo 
Lagoon,  on  5 December,  constitutes 
the  second  for  the  country;  the  first 
was  at  the  same  locality  on  22  July 
{AH).  On  25  April,  two  Red 


Phalaropes  P.  fulicarius  were  noted 
15  km  off  Tema  and  a Brown  Noddy 
Anous  stolidus  7 km  further  (per 
Afri canBi rdi ng) . Two  Thick-billed 
Cuckoos  Pachycoccyx  audeberti  were 
seen  on  Mt  Afadjato,  Volta  Region, 
on  20  November,  with  another  call- 
ing there  on  2 May.  Brown  Nightjar 
Caprimulgus  binotatus  was  recorded 
at  Kakum  NP  s main  entrance  gate, 
on  12  November.  An  Akun  Eagle 
Owl  Bubo  leucostictus  was  flushed  in 
secondary  forest  at  Atewa  Forest  on 
17  April;  this  is  a new  species  for  the 
Atewa  Hills  Important  Bird  Area, 
where  a Green-tailed  Bristlebill  Bleda 
eximius  was  also  noted  on  21 
February  {AH). 

Fourteen  weeks  of  field  work, 
from  December  2004  until  March 
2005,  surveying  all  wildlife  reserves 
and  some  forest  reserves  of  Ghana, 
produced  numerous  new  distribution 
records.  African  R.eed  Warbler 
Acrocephalus  {scirpaceus)  baeticatus, 
previously  unknown  from  the  coun- 
try, was  found  breeding  on  the  shores 
of  Lake  Volta  in  Digya  NP,  where 
several  were  mist-netted  in  January, 
with  many  European  Reed  Warblers 
A.  (s.)  scirpaceus.  The  first  Little  Rush 
Warbler  Bradypterus  baboecala  for 
Ghana  was  heard  in  a Typha  marsh 
on  the  edge  of  the  lake  at  Owabi 
Wildlife  Sanctuary,  Kumasi  (an  earli- 
er tape-recording  supposedly  from 
Ghana  is  actually  from  Cameroon:  L. 
G.  Grimes  in  litt).  African  Barred 
Owlet  Glaucidium  capense,  reported 
for  the  first  time  in  Ghana,  at 
Kyabobo,  in  2004  {Bull.  ABC  12:  67) 
was  found  in  transition  woodland  or 
riparian  thickets  and  forest  in  a fur- 
ther six  localities,  from  Shai  Hills 
near  Accra  north  to  Bui  and  Digya 
NP.  Verreaux’s  Eagle  Owl  Bubo  lac- 
teus , previously  known  from  just  two 
records  in  the  north,  has  been  found 
at  a further  three  localities,  from  the 
White  Volta  at  Gambaga  south  to 
Bui  and  Digya  NP.  Black-shouldered 
Nightjar  Caprimulgus  nigriscapularis, 
almost  unknown  previously,  now 
appears  widespread,  from  Kakum 
(outside  forest)  and  Shai  Hills  north- 
wards. Plain  Nightjar  C.  inornatus , 
whose  status  in  Ghana  is  unclear,  was 
well  seen  by  day  and  heard  singing  in 


Bui  NP,  the  first  indication  that  it 
might  breed  in  the  country.  Freckled 
Nightjar  C.  tristigma , previously 
known  only  from  the  north,  includ- 
ing Mole,  was  found  to  be  common 
around  rocks  much  further  south, 
including  Bui,  Kyabobo  NP  and  even 
Shai  Hills,  near  Accra.  Red-billed 
Hornbill  Tockus  erythrorhynchus , pre- 
viously known  only  from  the  far 
north,  was  common  in  the  Acacia 
woodlands  of  Bui  NP,  with  fewer  in 
Mole  and  even  Shai  Hills  in  the  far 
south.  Golden-tailed  Woodpecker 
Campethera  abingoni,  previously 
known  only  from  Mole,  has  been 
found  at  four  new  localities,  north  to 
Gambaga,  south  to  Bui,  Kogyae  and 
Digya  NP.  Other  notable  range 
extensions  of  savanna  species  include 
Fox  Kestrel  Falco  alopex  (south  to 
Kogyae);  Sun  Lark  Galerida  modesta 
(south  to  Digya) ; White-crowned 
Robin  Chat  Cossypha  albicapilla 
(from  Gbele  in  the  north-west  south 
to  Digya  and  Kogyae);  Rufous  and 
Dorst’s  Cisticolas  Cisticola  rufus  and 
C.  dorsti  (from  Gbele  south  to  Bui, 
Rufous  also  in  Digya).  The  normally 
rare  Yellow  Penduline  Tit 
Anthoscopus  parvulus  was  found  to  be 
common  around  flowering  Vitellaria 
paradoxa  in  Gbele  reserve  and 
Gambaga  scarp,  singing  and  nest- 
building in  late  February-early 
March. 

Many  of  the  forest  species  have 
also  seen  their  known  range  extend- 
ed: the  rare  Lagden’s  Bush-shrike 
Malaconotus  lagdeni  was  discovered  in 
the  hill  forests  of  Kyabobo  on  the 
Togo  border,  the  first  observation  in 
Ghana  since  the  type  was  collected, 
near  Kumasi,  in  the  19th  century. 
Congo  Serpent  Eagle  Dryotriorchis 
spectabilis,  very  noisy  in  the  dry  sea- 
son, saw  its  range  extended  from  Bia 
NP,  where  it  is  particularly  common, 
north  and  east  to  Kogyae  (Afram 
River),  Kalakpa  and  Kyabobo. 
Willcocks’s  Honeyguide  Indicator 
willcocksi  was  seen  and  heard  at  sever- 
al new  localities,  including  riparian 
thicket  or  forest  in  the  far  north 
(Gbele  on  the  Kulpawn  River, 
Konkori  scarp  in  Mole),  which  might 
seem  an  unusual  habitat  except  that 
it  was  first  tape-recorded  in  this  vege- 


Recent  Reports 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  - 183 


tation  type  in  Chad  by  C.  Chappuis. 
The  Data  Deficient  Baumann’s 
Bulbul  Phyllastrephus  baumanni, 
found  commonly  in  Kyabobo  {Bull. 
ABC  12:  67),  was  also  confirmed 
from  forest  clearings  and 
Chromolaena  farmbush  in  Bia  and 
Digya  NP  and  below  Atewa  Range. 
Puvel’s  Illadopsis  Illadopsis  puveli, 
previously  under-recorded  as  con- 
fused with  the  much  rarer  Rufous- 
winged Illadopsis  I.  rufescens , appears 
to  be  the  most  widespread  of  the 
genus  in  Ghana,  found  all  the  way 
from  coastal  thickets  (Cape  Three 
Points  and  Shai  Hills)  north  to  Bui 
and  Kyabobo.  Brown  Sunbird 
Anthreptes  gabonicus  was  found  nest 
building  on  22  March  in  thickets  on 
the  edge  of  the  Black  Volta  in  Bui 
(08°37’N).  Fraser’s  Eagle  Owl  Bubo 
poensis,  Spotted  Honeyguide 
Indicator  maculatus,  Pale-fronted 
Negrofinch  Nigrita  luteifrons  and 
many  others  saw  their  range  extended 
north  to  Kyabobo  (08°20’-08o25’N). 
Interesting  new  records  from  Bia  NP 
and  adjacent  Krokosua  Hills  Forest 
Reserve  include  Akun  Eagle  Owl, 
Brown  Nightjar  Caprimulgus  binota- 
tus,  Tessmann’s  Flycatcher  Muscicapa 
tessmanni  (several  in  song  in  open 
forest),  Bioko  Batis  Batis poensis  and 
Forest  Penduline  Tit  Anthoscopus 
flavifrons.  Bates’s  Sunbird  Cinnyris 
batesi , previously  known  from  only 
two  sites,  was  discovered  in  Bia  NP 
and  Atewa  Range.  A visit  to  Atewa 
Range  in  early  February  also  pro- 
duced many  other  new  records, 
including  Congo  Serpent  Eagle, 
Yellow-throated  Cuckoo  Chrysococcyx 
flavigularis,  Brown  Nightjar,  the 
Near-Threatened  Brown-cheeked 
Hornbill  Bycanistes  cylindricus , 
Lowland  Akalat  Sheppardia  cyor- 
nithopsis  (a  female  mist-netted  in 
breeding  condition;  an  earlier  speci- 
men from  here,  erroneously  claimed 
as  Equatorial  Akalat  S.  aequatorialis 
was  undoubtedly  this  species)  and 
Bioko  Batis;  whilst  a Yellow-footed 
Honeyguide  Melignomon  eisentrauti 
(cf.  Bull.  ABC  1 0:  59)  was  in  song 
and  well  seen.  The  Near-Threatened 
Yellow-casqued  Hornbill 
Ceratogymna  elata  was  discovered  in 
Bomfobiri  Wildlife  Sanctuary,  next  to 


the  much  rarer  (in  Ghana)  Black- 
and-white-casqued  Hornbill 

Bycanistes  sub  cylindricus.  Cape  Three 
Points  was  a new  locality  for  Spot- 
breasted Ibis  Bostrychia  rara  and 
Ansorge’s  Bulbul  Andropadus 
ansorgei , among  others.  Of  Palearctic 
species,  large  numbers  of  Alpine 
Swifts  Tachymarptis  melba  were  seen 
over  the  Kyabobo  hills  in  February, 
associating  with  numerous  Mottled 
Swifts  T.  aequatorialis  {FD-L  & 

RJD). 

Guinea-Bissau 

A male  Collared  Flycatcher  Ficedula 
albicollis  in  full  breeding  plumage  was 
watched  at  close  range  in  Bijagos 
Archipelago  National  Park,  Orango 
Island,  on  27  February  2005  ( RQ . 
This  constitutes  the  first  for  the 
country  and  also  the  first  definite 
record  west  of  Nigeria/Niger. 


Collared  Flycatcher  Ficedula  albicollis 
by  Craig  Robson  (courtesy  of 
Birdquest) 


Guinea 

During  field  work  in  Boke  Prefecture 
in  April-May  2005,  some  50  species 
were  recorded  for  the  first  time  in  the 
Kamsar  and  Sangaredi  areas  and  their 
records  represent  more  or  less  signifi- 
cant range  extensions.  Purple 
Swamphen  Porphyrio  porphyrio  was 
found  near  Kamsar;  this  is  a new 
species  for  the  country  list,  although 
there  is  an  unpublished  sighting  from 
Gaoual,  c.300  km  inland,  in  1992. 
Two  Ovambo  Sparrowhawks 
Accipiter  ovampensis  were  seen  near 
Sangaredi  on  8 May;  the  species  was 
previously  known  only  from  Haut 
Niger  NP  (=  National  Park).  Two 
Marsh  Owls  Asio  capensis  were 
flushed  from  the  edge  of  harvested 
rice  fields  near  Kamsar  on  27  April; 
there  is  only  one  previous  record 
from  Guinea,  also  from  the  Kamsar 


area.  An  African  Broadbill  Smithornis 
capensis  was  heard  displaying  near 
Sangaredi  on  6 May;  this  is  the  west- 
ernmost record  to  date  of  a species 
which  was  previously  known  to  occur 
only  as  far  west  as  Sierra  Leone. 
Baumann’s  Greenbul  Phyllastrephus 
baumanni , currently  listed  as  Data 
Deficient,  was  found  to  be  locally 
common  in  farmbush  near  Kamsar; 
the  species  was  previously  only 
known  in  Guinea  from  the  extreme 
south-east  of  the  country  and  its 
known  range  extended  westwards  to 
north-central  Sierra  Leone.  The  pres- 
ent records  are  thus  the  westernmost 
to  date  and  a range  extension  of 
c.300  km.  Icterine  Warbler  Hippolais 
icterina , observed  near  Sangaredi  on 
9 May,  is  an  addition  to  the  country’s 
list.  Black-backed  Cisticola  Cisticola 
eximius  was  found  to  be  locally  com- 
mon in  dry  rice  fields  and  partially 
burnt  open  plains  near  Kamsar.  Two 
pairs  of  Velvet-mantled  Drongo 
Dicrurus  modestus  were  found  at  two 
localities  near  Kamsar;  this  species 
was  previously  known  to  occur  only 
as  far  west  as  the  Kounounkan  area, 
near  the  border  with  Sierra  Leone 
(RD,  MCo,  KSo). 

Other  noteworthy  recent  and  not- 
so-recent  records  include  the  follow- 
ing. Little  Grebes  Tachybaptis  ruficol- 
lis  were  observed  at  Dalaba  on  22 
February  200 1,18  km  south-east  of 
Coyah  on  3 May  2003  (five)  and  at 
Conakry  on  26  October  2004;  there 
are  few  records  in  Guinea.  An 
Ovampo  Sparrowhawk  was  pho- 
tographed south-east  of  Coyah  on  8 
May  2005  (Fig.  6).  Also  there  on  the 
same  day  was  a Lesser  Jacana 
Microparra  capensis , with  four  there 
on  22nd;  this  is  a new  species  for  the 
Guinea  list.  More  than  60  Preuss’s 
Cliff  Swallows  Hirundo  preussi  were 
counted  near  Coyah  on  22  May.  A 
Eurasian  Oriole  Oriolus  oriolus  was 
found  in  Haut  Niger  NP  on  28 
February;  there  is  only  one  previous 
record  for  Guinea  {GG). 

Kenya 

The  following  records  are  from  the 
period  May  2004-March  2005.  A 
Shy  Albatross  Diomedea  cauta  was 
reported  14  nautical  miles  north  of 


184  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Recent  Reports 


Pemba  Island  on  20  January  and  a 
Wedge-tailed  Shearwater  Puffinus 
pacificus  on  the  Pemba  side  of  the 
Pemba  Channel  on  16  September. 

An  adult  Sooty  Shearwater  P.  griseus , 
found  dead  on  Watamu  beach  on  30 
May  2004,  is  the  first  record  of  this 
species  in  the  Indian  Ocean  north  of 
Eastern  Cape,  South  Africa,  though  it 
is  annual  in  the  Red  Sea. 

Two  Great  Crested  Grebes 
Podiceps  cristatus  were  at  Hippo 
Point,  Lake  Nakuru,  on  12  March. 
On  1 1 July  2004,  a nest  of  Olive  Ibis 
Bostrychia  olivacea  containing  two 
eggs  was  found  in  the  Aberdare 
Mountains;  possibly  the  first  record 
of  a nest  since  the  early  1900s.  A 
Eurasian  Spoonbill  Platalea  leucoro- 
dia  flew  over  Blue  Posts  Hotel, 

Thika,  on  27  January;  an  odd  locality 
for  a rare  species  in  Kenya.  A male 
Garganey  Anas  querquedula  was  at 
Limuru  Pond  on  12  March.  An  adult 
male  Beaudouin’s  Snake  Eagle 
Circaetus  beaudouini  was  seen  at 
Mungatsi  on  22  January;  this  indi- 
vidual has  been  present  in  the  area 
for  at  least  five  years.  A Red-necked 
Falcon  Falco  chicquera , a rare  species 
in  western  Kenya,  was  at  Mumias  on 
22  January.  In  late  January,  an 
African  Crake  Crex  egregia  was  found 
in  the  Masai  Mara;  this  species  is 
more  commonly  found  during 
May-June. 

A Lesser  Jacana  Microparra  capen- 
sis  was  observed  on  a roadside  pond 
south  of  Nyahururu  on  17  January. 
An  unusually  large  group  of  eight 
Bronze-winged  (Violet-tipped) 
Coursers  Rkinoptilus  chalcopterus 
were  seen  near  Siana  Springs  camp 
on  23  January.  A Brown-chested 
Lapwing  Vanellus  superciliosus  was 
found  in  the  Masai  Mara,  30 
October;  this  species  has  been  record- 
ed more  frequently  in  Kenya  over  the 
past  4-5  years,  mostly  in  the  Mara. 
Temminck’s  Stints  Calidris  tem- 
minckii  were  at  Lake  Nakuru  on  12 
January  (four)  and  at  Lake  Baringo 
on  20  January  (five).  A Common 
Redshank  Tringa  totanus  was  at  Lake 
Chemchem,  Malindi,  on  22 
September.  At  Lake  Nakuru,  50 
Common  Black-headed  Gulls  Larus 
ridibundus  were  counted  on  13 


March,  with  an  adult  Slender-billed 
Gull  L.  genei  there  on  2-27  August. 
Three  Sandwich  Terns  Sterna  sandvi- 
censis  were  found  in  a roost  with 
other  terns  and  gulls  at  Sabaki  River 
mouth  on  25  October;  this  species  is 
recorded  only  every  few  years.  Near 
Kisumu,  Lake  Victoria,  200-250 
African  Skimmers  Ryncloops  flavi- 
rostris  were  noted  on  13-23  January. 
Also  in  January,  a Red-faced 
Lovebird  Agapornis  roseicollis  was  at 
Mungatsi  on  22nd,  a Northern 
Carmine  Bee-eater  Merops  nubicus  at 
Buffalo  Springs  Reserve  on  23rd  and 
an  Abyssinian  Roller  Coracias 
abyssinicus  at  Baringo  on  20th. 

A Tawny  Pipit  Anthus  campestris 
was  at  Rukinga  Ranch,  Tsavo  East, 
on  20-23  December.  Two  male 
African  Stonechats  Saxicola  torquatus 
with  all-black  breasts  were  seen  on 
the  road  to  Mountain  Lodge  on  15 
January;  these  have  been  reported 
before  and  look  very  like  subspecies 
albofasciata  which  is  unknown  in 
Kenya.  Common  Chiffchaffs 
Phylloscopus  collybita  were  recorded  at 
Matubio  Gate,  Aberdare  National 
Park,  on  1 1 January  (two),  on  Mt 
Kenya,  Naro  Moru  side,  on  25 
January  (a  dozen,  singing)  and  at 
Ngangao,  Taita  Hills  (four);  an 
unusually  large  number  of  this 
uncommon  species.  Two  Wood 
Warblers  P.  sibilatrix  were  in 
Kakamega  Forest  on  1 8 January. 
Buff-throated  Apalis  Apalis  rufogu- 
laris  was  found  in  Esiket  Forest,  Mara 
Game  Reserve,  a range  extension  of 
c.100  km  south  of  Kakamega.  A 
small  population  of  Karamoja  Apalis 
A.  karamojae  reported  from  the 
Kedong  Valley,  in  January,  is  the  first 
record  of  this  species  in  Kenya.  In 
Kakamega  Forest,  a Semi-collared 
Flycatcher  Ficedula  semitorquata  was 
reported  on  21  January  and  an 
Orange-tufted  Sunbird  Cinnyris  bou- 
vieri  on  1-5  January.  At  Njoro  River, 
Lake  Nakuru  National  Park,  17 
Grey-crested  Helmet-shrikes 
Prionops  poliolophus  were  seen  on  1 1 
January  (CJ). 

Liberia 

On  4 March  2005,  an  Egyptian 
Plover  Pluvianus  aegyptius,  a vagrant 


to  Liberia,  was  sighted  at  a coastal 
lagoon  near  Robertsport,  c.72  km 
west  of  Monrovia.  The  next  day,  an 
estimated  1,100  Royal  Terns  Sterna 
maxima  and  2,100  Black  Terns 
Chlidonias  niger  were  counted  at  the 
Lofa  River  mouth,  Bomi  County, 
c.20  km  west  of  Monrovia;  these 
were  the  highest  counts  at  a single 
site.  Preuss’s  Cliff  Swallow  Hirundo 
preussi  was  found  breeding  under  the 
Du  River  bridge  linking  Roberts 
International  Airport  to  the  Firestone 
Plantation,  on  24  February  2005; 
this  is  the  first  record  from  the  coast, 
the  only  previous  records  being  from 
Voinjama,  in  the  north-west  and  Mt 
Nimba.  In  December  2004,  a pair  of 
Gola  Malimbes  Malimbus  ballmanni 
was  observed  nesting  in  mature  sec- 
ondary forest  on  the  north-east  side 
of  Sapo  National  Park,  in  Sinoe 
County;  as  a mark  of  appreciation, 
the  head  of  the  local  Site  Support 
Group  who  guided  the  survey  team 
named  his  son  born  that  day 
Malimbe  ( MMa ). 

Madagascar 

Records  in  October-November  2004 
include  the  following.  In  the 
Betsiboka  Delta,  36  Madagascar  Teal 
Anas  bernieri  were  counted  on  2 
November.  A pair  of  Madagascar 
Cuckoo  Hawks  Aviceda  madagas- 
cariensis  was  nest  building  in  Berenty 
Reserve  on  26-27  October.  On  21 
October,  a Red  Knot  Calidris  canutus 
was  found  at  Tulear  harbour;  there 
are  no  published  records  of  this 
species  for  the  country,  but  it  has 
been  seen  previously  at  Maroantsetra 
in  two  consecutive  years.  A 
Madagascar  Long-eared  Owl  Asio 
madagascariensis  was  observed  in  a 
large  gum  tree  along  the  main  road  at 
Perinet  on  18  October  and  a Marsh 
Owl  A.  capensis  at  Nose  Ve  on  24th. 
A single  Barn  Swallow  Hirundo  rusti- 
ca  was  spotted  at  Lakana  Veso  Resort, 
north  of  Tulear,  on  8 October;  this  is 
a rare  visitor  with  a few  scattered 
records  only  (. EF ). 

Madeira 

The  2004  breeding  season  was  very 
successful  for  Zino’s  Petrel 
Pterodroma  madeira,  with  a record  29 


Recent  Reports 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  - 185 


fledglings  (25  of  which  were  ringed). 
In  addition,  a new  breeding  ledge 
with  five  active  nests  was  found,  rais- 
ing the  total  of  nests  to  72  of  which 
53  were  active  in  2004  (per  Dutch 
BirdingY] : 59).  Several  Zino’s  Petrels 
were  calling  in  the  evening  of  3 April 
2005  at  Pico  do  Arieiro;  this  is  a sur- 
prisingly early  date  (per  Dutch 
Birding  27:  211).  Up  to  four 
Eurasian  Collared  Doves  Streptopelia 
decaocto  were  at  Prainha,  just  east  of 
Cani^al,  on  10-12  April  2005 
(apparently  just  two  previous  records 
in  Madeira),  and  a Ring-billed  Gull 
Larus  delawarensis  was  at  Machico  on 
12  April  {AG,  GMK,  WP).  The  first 
Village  Weaver  Ploceus  cucullatus  for 
Madeira,  a male,  was  seen  in  Funchal 
on  8 November  2004  (per  Birding 
World  17:  498). 

Mali 

Noteworthy  records  from  the  Sokolo 
area  on  12-14  January  2005  include 
a Yellow-breasted  Barbet 
Trachyphonus  margaritatus  and  two 
Lesser  Whitethroats  Sylvia  curruca 
{. MCr ).  Records  new  for  the  area  of 
Sadiola,  south  of  Kayes,  in  the  little- 
visited  extreme  west  of  the  country, 
near  the  Senegalese  border,  include 
Egyptian  Nightjar  Caprimulgus 
aegyptius , Neumann’s  Starling 
Onychognathus  neumanni  and 
Common  Waxbill  Estrilda  astrild 
{WQ. 

Mauritania 

The  following  records  were  received 
from  the  period  December 
2004-January  2005.  A Barbary 
Falcon  Falco  pelegrinoides  was  at 
Aghkmakou  (21°12’N  11°53’W),  in 
the  Adrar  region,  northern 
Mauritania,  on  1 January,  with  pre- 
sumably the  same  individual  at 
another  site  in  the  same  area  two 
days  later.  Three  Common 
Moorhens  Gallinula  chloropus  were  at 
some  small  pools  near  Aghkmakou 
on  1-3  January  {KD  & HD).  The 
Kelp  Gull  Larus  dominicanus  vetula 
at  Tidra,  Banc  d’Arguin,  on  27-28 
December,  is  considered  to  be  the 
same  individual  last  reported  on  24 
March  2004  and  first  seen  in  1997 
(per  Dutch  Birdingll : 63-67).  In 


January,  Speckled  Pigeon  Columba 
guinea  was  very  common  at 
Nouakchott  and  appears  to  have  fur- 
ther increased  compared  with  previ- 
ous years.  A few  Eurasian  Collared 
Doves  Streptopelia  decaocto  were  at 
Nouadhibou  airport  on  9 January; 
the  species  was  first  found  in  March 
2004  and  this  is  the  southernmost 
and  so  far  only  area  in  western  Africa 
where  it  occurs.  More  than  30  Plain 
Swifts  Apus  unicolor  were  at 
Nouakchott  on  8 January.  About  20 
Dunn’s  Larks  Eremalauda  dunni  were 
seen  in  northern  Mauritania  around 
21°21’N  ll°49’Won  3-6  January.  A 
group  of  ten  Isabelline  Wheatears 
Oenanthe  isabellina  was  seen  between 
El  Beyyed  and  Aghmakou  (at 
21°29’N  11°27’W)  on  6 January. 

Five  male  Tristram’s  Warblers  Sylvia 
deserticola  were  recorded  in  the 
21°30’N  1 1°25’W  area  on  3-6 
January.  A group  of  three  Cricket 
Warblers  Spiloptila  clamans  was  pho- 
tographed at  Aghkmakou  on  2-3 
January.  Notable  numbers  of  Desert 
Sparrows  Passer  simplex  were  seen 
between  Nouakchott  and  Akjoujt  on 
31  December  (r.50)  and  in  the 
north,  at  El  Beyyed  (40)  and  between 
El  Beyyed  and  Aghkmakou  (35)  in 
the  first  week  of  January  {KD  & 

HD). 


Desert  Sparrows  Passer  simplex  by 
Craig  Robson  (courtesy  of  Birdquest) 


Morocco 

Records  from  September  2004-April 
2005  include  the  following.  On  26 
November,  a Western  Reef  Heron 
Egretta  gularis  was  seen  at  Dakhla 
(per  Dutch  Birding  27 ‘.  59-67).  A 
Great  Egret  Egretta  alba  was  at  Oued 
Souss,  Agadir,  on  14  April  {AvdB).  At 
Lake  Sidi  Bou-Rhaba,  a male  Ring- 
necked Duck  Aythya  collaris  was 
found  on  4 March  (per  Birding  World 
18:  104).  If  accepted,  an  adult  Sooty 
Falcon  Falco  concolor  at  Barrage 


Mohammed  V on  19  September  will 
be  the  first  for  Morocco  (per  Dutch 
Birdingll:  59-67).  In  November, 

140  Eurasian  Griffon  Vultures  Gyps 
fulvus  were  observed  at  Itzer  on  1 6th, 
and  a Common  Gull  Larus  canus  and 
two  Plain  Swifts  Apus  unicolor  at 
Oued  Souss  on  9th  (per  Birding 
World  17:  498).  Three  Spotted 
Crakes  Porzana  porzana  were  forag- 
ing underneath  Aoulouz  bridge  on 
13  April  {AvdB). 

A first-summer  Black-headed 
Wagtail  Motacilla  {flava)  feldegg  at 
Derkaoua,  Merzouga,  on  11-12 
April,  was  about  the  fifth  for  the 
country  {AvdB).  What  was  apparently 
the  first  Isabelline  Shrike  Lanius 
isabellinus  for  the  country,  a first- 
winter,  was  also  found  the  same 
month  {Birdwatch  155:  76).  At  the 
Oukaimeden  ski  lift  station,  22 
Crimson-winged  Finches 
Rhodopechys  sanguineus  were  counted 
in  late  March-early  April;  this  is  a 
high  number  for  this  uncommon 
species  {AvdB). 

Mozambique 

A Red-tailed  Tropicbird  Phaethon 
rubricauda  was  seen  at  Inhambane  on 
15  February  2005  {BS  per  TEL).  In 
March,  a European  Honey  Buzzard 
Pernis  apivorus  was  reported  south  of 
Muanza  on  14th  and  single  Western 
(=Eurasian)  Marsh  Harriers  Circus 
aeruginosus  near  Rio  Savanne  on  13th 
and  from  Pungwe  Flats  on  1 6th 
{DMc).  On  28th,  a Brown  Booby 
Sula  leucogaster  was  off  Pomene  {PF). 

Namibia 

In  January-April  2005  the  following 
were  reported.  Two  Eurasian 
Oystercatchers  Haematopus  ostralegus 
were  at  Walvisbay  on  22  January 
{KW).  Thirteen  Black- tailed  Godwits 
Limosa  limosa  were  counted  at  Lake 
Liambezi,  Caprivi  Strip,  on  2 January 
{TH  & MGi);  at  Swakopmund,  one 
was  present  from  on  28  February 
{MB)  until  14  March  at  least  (per 
TH).  A Common  Redshank  Tringa 
totanus , found  at  Swakopmund  on  12 
January  {WL  & KH),  remained  until 
at  least  14  March;  another  was  at 
Walvisbay  on  22  January  {KW).  Also 
at  Walvisbay  on  22  January  were  four 


186  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Recent  Reports 


Red-necked  Phalaropes  Phalaropus 
lobatus  ( KW ),  with  one  at 
Swakopmund  on  28  February  (MB) 
remaining  until  at  least  14  March.  A 
Black-headed  Gull  Larus  ridibundus 
was  at  Swakopmund  on  12  January 
(WL&KH).  The  second  Gull-billed 
Tern  Gelochelidon  nilotica  for 
Namibia  was  at  Sikoma  Island, 
Caprivi  Strip,  on  26  January  ( GD ). 

Nigeria 

Records  from  October  2004-January 
2005  include  the  following.  Surveys 
of  Cross  River  National  Park 
(CRNP)  and  adjacent  areas  in  south- 
east Nigeria  between  16  November 
and  21  December  2004  revealed 
three  new  species  for  the  country: 
Yellow-footed  Honeyguide 
Melignomon  eisentrauti  at  Erokut  in 
western  CRNP,  Oban  Division, 
Mount  Kupe  Bush-shrike 
Malaconotus  kupeensis  in  the  north- 
eastern CRNP,  Okwangwo  Division, 
in  the  former  Boshi  Extension  Forest 
Reserve,  and  Ursulas  Sunbird 
Cinnyris  ursulae  in  the  proposed 
extension  in  eastern  CRNP,  Oban 
Division,  and  in  Okwangwo 
Division.  The  latter  two  were  known 
previously  only  from  Cameroon.  The 
sought-after  Mount  Kupe  Bush- 
shrike  is  listed  as  Endangered  and 
was  known  from  three  sites  in  an  area 
of  200  km2;  this  Nigerian  record 
extends  the  previously  known  range 
by  c.150  km.  Other  species  rarely 
recorded  in  Nigeria  included  the  fol- 
lowing: Olive  Ibis  Bostrychia  olivacea , 
Spot-breasted  Ibis  B.  rara , Long- 
tailed Hawk  JJrotriorchis  macrourus, 
Latham’s  Forest  Francolin 
Francolinus  lathami , Nkulengu  Rail 
Himantornis  haematopus , Lemon 
Dove  Aplopelia  larvata , Olive  Long- 
tailed Cuckoo  Cercococcyx  olivinus , 
Sjostedt’s  Owlet  Glaucidium  sjostedti , 
Black  Spinetail  Telacanthura 
melanopygia,  Bates’s  Swift  Apus  bate  si. 
Bare-cheeked  Trogon  Apaloderma 
aequatoriale , Blue-headed  Bee-eater 
Merops  muelleri , Spotted  Honeyguide 
Indicator  maculatus , Green-backed 
Woodpecker  Campethera  cailliautii , 
Yellow-crested  Woodpecker 
Dendropicos  xantholophus , Grey- 
headed Broadbill  Smithornis  sharpei, 


Forest  Swallow  Hirundo  juliginosa , 
Golden  Greenbul  Calyptocichla 
serina , Sjostedt’s  Honeyguide 
Greenbul  Baeopogon  clamans , Xavier’s 
Greenbul  Phyllastrephus  xavieri, 
Bocage’s  Akalat  Sheppardia  bocagei , 
Crossley’s  Ground  Thrush  Zoothera 
crossleyi  (this  species  is  common  on 
Obudu  and  in  Okwangwo  but  is  new 
to  Oban),  Lemon-bellied  Crombec 
Sylvietta  denti , Olivaceous  Flycatcher 
Muscicapa  olivacea , Yellow-footed 
Flycatcher  M.  sethsmitloi,  Grey- 
throated  Flycatcher  Myioparus  gri- 
seigularis , Forest  Penduline  Tit 
Anthoscopus  flavifrons,  Green- 
throated  Sunbird  Chalcomitra 
rubescens  crossensis,  Johanna’s  Sunbird 
Cinnyris  johannae,  Bates’s  Sunbird  C. 
batesi.  Green-breasted  Bush-shrike 
Malaconotus  gladiator , Pink-footed 
Puffback  Dryoscopus  angolensis  and 
Woodhouse’s  (Red-headed) 
Antpecker  Parmoptila  woodhousei.  In 
addition,  there  was  a possible  sight- 
ing of  a Black  Guineafowl  Agelastes 
niger  and  two  independent  reports 
from  reliable  local  observers  of  the 
continued  presence  of  this  species  in 
Nigeria  (AA,  OA,  DB,  LF,  MG,  II). 

At  Okomu  National  Park,  a pair  of 
Cassin’s  Hawk  Eagles  Spizaetus 
africanus  was  sighted  on  23  October. 
A Cassin’s  Honeybird  Prodotiscus 
insignis  and  a female  Johanna’s 
Sunbird  were  also  recorded  ( SE ',  PH), 
and  a pair  of  Bioko  Batis  Batis  poen- 
sis  was  photographed  on  30  January 
(per  PH). 

On  the  Jos  Plateau,  a Ferruginous 
Duck  Aythya  nyroca  was  seen  on  9 
December  and  a Red-capped  Lark 
Calandrella  cinerea  had  returned  to 
the  site  (PH).  On  29  October  an 
amazing  48  Golden  Nightjars 
Caprimulgus  eximius  were  found  dead 
on  the  road  from  Maiduguri  to 
Mongonu  on  the  shores  of  Lake 
Chad  (SE,  PH). 

On  16  December,  a Yellow-footed 
Flycatcher  was  feeding  young  at 
Buanchor,  Cross  River  State.  On  the 
Obudu  Plateau,  a Pink-footed 
Puffback  was  observed  on  11-12 
December.  A pair  of  Red-bellied 
Malimbe  Malimbus  erythrogaster  on 
13  December  in  Bashu  village,  just 
north  of  CRNP,  Okwangwo 


Division,  appears  to  be  the  first 
report  for  many  years  from  Nigeria 
(LF,  PH,  PJ,  TL,  AM,  SRu). 

A large  owl,  seen  in  Afi  River 
Forest  Reserve  on  1 0 February, 
appears  to  have  been  a Shelley’s  Eagle 
Owl  Bubo  shelleyv,  the  roosting  bird, 
found  in  the  middle  of  the  day  and 
observed  at  close  quarters,  was 
described  as  being  significantly  larger 
than  African  Wood  Owl  Strix  wood- 
fordii  and  having  broad  dark  brown 
and  white  bars  on  the  underparts, 
from  the  throat  down,  which  rules 
out  Fraser’s  Eagle  Owl  Bubo  poensis. 
This  is  the  first  report  of  this  rare  and 
spectacular  owl  in  Nigeria.  Also 
there,  African  Piculet  Sasia  africana 
was  another  first  for  the  country;  the 
very  short  tail,  bare  red  skin  around 
the  eye,  reddish  legs,  dark  grey 
underparts  and  olive-green  upper- 
parts  were  all  noted  (II  per  LF). 

Rwanda 

Red-faced  Barbet  Lybius  rubrifacies 
was  found  to  be  still  common  in 
what  remains  of  Akagera  National 
Park,  where  at  least  13  were  seen  on 
1-2  June  2005;  this  species  has  a very 
restricted  range  and  Akagera  is  proba- 
bly the  site  where  it  is  most  easily 
observed  (RD  & RSw). 

Sao  Tome  & Principe 

On  4 December  2003,  an  Isabelline 
Wheatear  Oenanthe  isabellina  was 
observed  at  close  range  along  the 
road  between  Lagoa  Azul  and  Neves, 
Sao  Tome;  this  appears  to  be  the  first 
for  the  country.  Another  first  was 
recorded  on  23  November  2004 
when  a Garden  Warbler  Sylvia  borin 
was  seen  in  plantation  forest  above 
Roca  Agostinho  Neto,  Sao  Tome 
(CH).  Other  records  of  interest  from 
November  2004  included  a Curlew 
Sandpiper  Calidris  ferruginea  at  Praia 
dos  Conchas  on  23rd  and  a 
Common  Greenshank  Tringa  nebu- 
laria  at  Lemba  River  mouth  the  next 
day.  Along  the  north  coast  several 
observations  were  made  of  Common 
Terns  Sterna  hirundo , including  a 
small  group  of  two  adults  and  three 
immatures  resting  on  a cliff  at  Lagoa 
Azul  on  21st  (CH).  In  early  2005, 
two  Sao  Tome  Grosbeaks  Neospiza 


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Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  - 187 


concolor  were  mist-netted  (MMe). 

The  Willow  Warbler  Phylloscopus 
trochilus  seen  on  Principe  on  21 
September  2004  was  not  the  first 
record  for  the  island,  as  erroneously 
stated  in  Bull.  ABC  12:  70:  two  were 
seen  on  5 October  2002  with  one 
next  day  {Bull.  ABC  10:  61;  HU). 

Senegal 

The  following  records  were  reported 
in  October  2004-March  2005.  A 
White-crested  Tiger  Heron 
Tigriornis  leucolopha  was  pho- 
tographed at  Toubakuta,  Sine 
Saloum,  on  2 October  (Fig.  4)  ( HB ). 
On  1 6 January,  three  Little  Bitterns 
Ixobrychus  minutus  were  seen  in 
Djoudj  NP  (=National  Park),  one  of 
which  appeared  to  be  a male  of  the 
African  race  payesii;  there  appear  to 
be  few  confirmed  records  of  this  race 
from  Senegal  (NB) . A male  Blue- 
winged Teal  Anas  discors  was  found 
among  a large  flock  of  Garganey  A. 
querquedula  in  Djoudj  NP  on  4 
March  2005;  there  are  only  two  pre- 
vious records  from  Senegal,  both  of 
males  in  early  March  (Morel  & 

Morel  1990.  Les  Oiseaux  de 
Senegambie)  in  1975  and  1979  (CG) 
(Fig.  5).  As  in  2004,  hundreds  of 
kestrels  leaving  their  roost  near 
Kaolack  on  16  January  appeared  to 
be  predominantly  Lesser  Kestrels 
Falco  naumanni  with  a few  Common 
Kestrels  F.  tinnunculus  {NB);  they 
were  still  present  in  early  February 
{EW).  A very  large  female  Peregrine 
Falcon  F.  peregrinus,  presumably  of 
the  race  calidus , was  seen  well  in 
Djoudj  NP  on  18  January  {NB).  A 
male  Common  Rock  Thrush 
Monticola  saxatilis  was  between 
Tambacounda  and  Kaolack  on  6 
February  {EW).  What  appears  to  be 
the  first  Yellow-breasted  Apalis  Apalis 
flavida  for  Senegal  was  sighted  in  a 
mixed  bird  party  in  dense  riparian 
woodland  along  the  Gambia  River  at 
the  Campement  Safari,  Mako,  just 
outside  the  eastern  limits  of  Niokolo 
Koba  NP,  on  21  December  {KR);  the 
species  was  seen  again  and  pho- 
tographed on  16  February  {B  & LG). 


Seychelles 

A Pterodroma  at  Cousin  Island,  on  29 
August  2003  and  29  June  2004  {Bull. 
ABC  12:  70),  has  been  identified  by 
Seychelles  Bird  Records  Committee 
(SBRC)  as  Kermadec  Petrel  P.  neglec- 
ta , the  first  record  for  Seychelles. 
Reports  from  the  period  October 
2004-March  2005  include  the  first 
Little  Crake  Porzana  parva  for  the 
islands,  seen  on  Cousin  on  25-27 
December,  whilst  a Jack  Snipe 
Lymnocryptes  minimus  at  Bird  Island 
from  25  October  until  25  March  will 
be  the  first  for  Seychelles  if  accepted 
(there  is  also  a published  record 
rejected  by  SBRC). 

A Booted  Eagle  Hieraaetus  penna- 
tus  at  the  Sooty  Tern  Sterna  fuscata 
colony  area  from  21  January  until  3 
February  was  the  second  report.  A 
Grey  Wagtail  Motacilla  cinerea  at  the 
Le  Niol  waterworks,  Mahe,  on  12-15 
March  was  the  fifth  report  for 
Seychelles.  A Willow  Warbler 
Phylloscopus  trochilus  at  Bird  Island 
from  29  November  until  about  12 
December  will  be  the  fourth  record  if 
accepted  (there  are  a further  two 
records  deemed  indeterminate  with 
Chiffchaff  P.  collybita  and  one  con- 
firmed as  Chiffchaff).  Other  sight- 
ings of  interest  included  three  Blue- 
cheeked Bee-eaters  Merops  persicus  at 
Bird  Island  on  22  January-4 
February,  with  two  still  present  on  5 
February,  and  a Broad-billed  Roller 
Eurystomus  glaucurus  at  Bird  Island 
on  22  December  {ASH). 

Somalia 

The  more  interesting  records  from  a 
brief  visit  to  ‘Puntland’,  from  13  to 
17  April  2005  include  the  following. 
In  Garoowe  town  (square  30c  in  Ash, 
J.S.  & Miskell,  J.E.  1998.  Birds  of 
Somalia ),  on  1 4th,  a pair  of  Somali 
Chestnut-winged  Starlings 
Onychognathus  blythii  was  seen  at  its 
nest  with  two  five-day-old  chicks, 
and  two  pairs  of  Swainson’s  Sparrows 
Passer  (griseus)  swainsonii  with  just- 
fledged,  dependent  young  also  there; 
the  latter  is  a considerable  range 
extension.  South-west  of  Garoowe 
(still  square  30c),  on  15th,  an  adult 
and  two  subadult  Black-crowned 
Night  Herons  Nycticorax  nycticorax,  a 


Willow  Warbler  Phylloscopus  trochilus 
and  an  Isabelline  Shrike  Lanius 
isabellinus  were  observed. 

At  Galgalo  village  and  spring  (square 
1 5a  and  a few  km  north-west  in 
square  5c),  the  following  were  noted 
on  17th:  Orange  River  Francolin 
Francolinus  levaillantoides  (one  seen 
and  2-3  heard  in  5 c),  a Speckled 
Pigeon  Columba  guinea  (in  Galgalo 
village,  15a),  a Tawny  Pipit  Anthus 
campestris  (5c),  two  Little  Rock 
Thrushes  Monticola  rufocinereus 
(5c),  a Masked  Shrike  Lanius  nubicus 
(15a),  ten  African  Silverbills  Euodice 
cantans  (15a)  and  three  Cinnamon- 
breasted Rock  Buntings  Emberiza 
tahapisi  (two  in  15a,  one  in  5c)  (JM ). 

South  Africa 

Records  from  January-May  2005 
include  the  following.  Wandering 
Albatrosses  Diomedea  exulans  were 
reported  south  of  Cape  Point  on  7 
and  30  March  {PW,  BR)  with  two 
south-west  of  Danger  Point  on  3 1 
March  {BW).  Also  off  Cape  Point,  a 
Southern  Royal  Albatross  D.  {e.)  epo- 
mophora  was  seen  on  7 March  {PW) 
and  a Northern  Royal  Albatross  D. 

(i e .)  sanfordi  on  3 April  {BW).  Single 
Spectacled  Petrels  Procellaria 
{aequinoctialis)  conspicillata  were  seen 
on  29  January  (per  TH)  and  30 
March  {BR).  Africa’s  10th  Macaroni 
Penguin  Eudyptes  chrysolophus  was 
found  at  Gansbaai,  Western  Cape,  on 
19  February  (per  TH).  An  unidenti- 
fied tropicbird  Phaethon  sp.  with  a 
white  tail  flew  over  Constantia, 
Western  Cape,  around  midday  on  29 
January  {KW)  and  a few  hours  later 
southern  Africa’s  sixth  (and  South 
Africa’s  fifth)  Red-billed  Tropicbird 
Phaethon  aethereus  was  seen  at 
Rondevlei  Nature  Reserve,  only  a 
short  distance  away  {SM);  what  must 
almost  certainly  have  been  the  same 
individual  was  seen  at  Betty’s  Bay  two 
days  later  {ASc).  Another  unidentified 
tropicbird  with  a white  tail  was  in 
Saldanha  Bay  harbour,  Western  Cape, 
on  12  February  (JE).  A Red-footed 
Booby  Sula  sula  was  sighted  offshore 
c. 3 hours  north  of  Durban, 
KwaZulu-Natal,  on  12  February 
{MdlR). 


188  - Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Recent  Reports 


A male  Knob-billed  Duck 

Sarkidiomis  melanotos  was  at  Paarl 
Bird  Sanctuary,  Western  Cape,  on 
24—28  March  ( BV)  and  a male 
Northern  Shoveler  Anas  clypeata, 
possibly  a genuine  vagrant,  at  the 
Umvoti  River  mouth,  KwaZulu- 
Natal,  on  4 April  ( SJ ).  A Great 
Bittern  Botaurus  stellaris  was  at 
Kamberg,  KwaZulu-Natal,  on  2 
January  (DHo,  DS  & MO).  Slaty 
Egrets  Egretta  vinaceigula  were 
reported  from  Marievale  Bird 
Sanctuary,  Gauteng,  where  two  were 
present  from  23  January  (RM)  until 
the  end  of  February,  from 
Seekoeivlei,  Memel,  Free  State,  on  5 
February  ( RN),  and  from  Faan 
Meintjies  Nature  Reserve,  North 
West  Province,  on  5-11  February 
( TA)  at  least.  Southern  Africa’s  third 
Little  Blue  Heron  E.  caerulea  was 
still  present  in  its  fifth  year  at  the 
Olifants  River,  north  of  Lambert’s 
Bay,  Western  Cape,  on  25  March 
(CV);  it  seems  to  have  become  resi- 
dent and  was  reported  again  on  12 
April.  A Western  Reef  Heron  E. 
gularis , photographed  at  Rondevlei 
Nature  Reserve  on  27  January  ( BR ), 
was  still  present  on  9 February  (SL). 
Over  1 5 sightings  of  European 
Honey  Buzzards  Pernis  apivorus  were 
received  from  Northern  and  Western 
Cape,  Gauteng,  Limpopo  Province 
and  KwaZulu-Natal,  the  last  being 
reported  at  Tokai  Arboretum, 

Western  Cape,  on  19  May  (. AK ). 
Western  (^Eurasian)  Marsh  Harriers 
Circus  aeruginosus  were  at  Hazelmere 
Dam,  KwaZulu-Natal,  on  19  January 
( JMo , LdB  &MRo),  at  La  Mercy 
Airstrip,  KwaZulu-Natal,  on  21-29 
January  ( HC  & MCh ),  at  Marievale 
Bird  Sanctuary,  Gauteng,  from  23 
January  ( RM)  until  late  February, 
with  up  to  three  different  birds  being 
noted,  and  at  Elandsvlei  near 
Bapsfontein  from  27  February  (CV) 
until  12  March  at  least.  An 
Eleonora’s  Falcon  Falco  eleonorae  flew 
over  near  Berg-en-Dal,  Kruger 
National  Park,  on  6 February  (SV). 

In  KwaZulu-Natal,  a Eurasian 
Oystercatcher  Haematopus  ostralegus 
was  found  at  Umkomaas  on  7 
January  (IF),  where  it  remained  until 
the  1 6th,  with  another  at  Mfolozi 


River  mouth  on  29th  (DCy).  An 
American  Golden  Plover  Pluvialis 
dominica  at  De  Mond  Nature 
Reserve,  near  Arniston,  in  November 
2004,  was  still  present  on  2 April 
(per  TH).  Single  Pacific  Golden 
Plovers  P julva  were  reported  from 
Rchards  Bay,  KwaZulu-Natal,  on  16 
January  (DHo),  the  Kabeljous  River 
estuary  near  Jeffreys  Bay,  Eastern 
Cape,  on  9 February  (TG),  Den  Staat 
Wetlands,  Limpopo  Province,  from 
23  March  (GDa)  until  14  April,  and 
De  Mond  Nature  Reserve  near 
Arniston  from  8 March  (PQ  until  2 
April,  with  a second  photographed 
there  on  22  March  (MBu,  BvdW, 
DW).  Three  were  present  at  Phinda 
Game  Reserve,  KwaZulu-Natal  on  1 
March  (DDe).  A White-rumped 
Sandpiper  Calidris  fuscicollis  at 
Voelvlei,  near  Bredasdorp,  Western 
Cape,  on  13  March  (BR,  J & GG, 
MGi,  TH)  was  still  present  on  1 0 
April.  Three  Pectoral  Sandpipers  C. 
melanotos  remained  at  Turfloop  Dam 
near  Polokwane,  Limpopo  Province, 
from  28  January  (JG)  until  22  March 
at  least;  one  was  at  Spitskop  Dam, 
c.  1 00  km  north-west  of  Kimberley, 
Northern  Cape,  on  2 April  (ASt). 

Two  Broad-billed  Sandpipers 
Limicola  falcinellus  were  at  Rchards 
Bay,  KwaZulu-Natal,  on  16  January 
(DHo)  with  one  inland,  at  Turfloop 
Dam,  Limpopo  Province,  on  19 
March  (TH,  MGi,  DD).  Records  of 
Black-tailed  Godwit  Limosa  limosa 
included  at  least  five  at  the  Jan 
Kempdorp  wetlands,  Northern  Cape, 
on  12  February  (MA);  five  at  the 
Samaria  Dams  adjacent  to 
Mapungubwe  National  Park, 
Limpopo  Province,  on  17  February 
(//  &S Ve);  one  at  Nsumu  Pan  in 
Mkuzi  Game  Reserve,  KwaZulu- 
Natal,  on  19  February  (DHo)-,  two  at 
De  Plaat  on  the  Berg  Rver,  Western 
Cape,  from  22  March  (CV)  until  3 
April  at  least;  and  a group  of  23  at 
Spitskop  Dam,  c.  1 00  km  north-west 
of  Kimberley,  Northern  Cape,  on  3 
April  (ASt)  with  eight  still  there  on 
10th  (D  & SK).  A Common 
Redshank  Tringa  totanus  was  at 
Velddrif,  Western  Cape,  on  20 
January  (PQ.  Single  Green 
Sandpipers  T.  ochropus  were  found  at 


St  Lucia,  KwaZulu-Natal,  on  25 
January  (PQ;  in  Kruger  National 
Park  on  6 February  (MR);  at 
Umfolozi  Game  Reserve,  KwaZulu- 
Natal,  on  13  February  (DMc);  at 
Eston  wetland,  KwaZulu-Natal,  on 
13-19  February  (RHu);  and  at 
Crocodile  Bridge  in  Kruger  National 
Park  on  19  February  (RdR).  The  15th 
Wilson’s  Phalarope  Phalaropus  tricol- 
or for  southern  Africa  was  in  West 
Coast  National  Park,  Western  Cape, 
on  15  January  (R  & JdT).  A small 
flock  of  up  to  seven  Red-necked 
Phalaropes  P lobatus  remained  at 
Velddrif,  Western  Cape,  from  20 
January  (PQ  through  February,  with 
the  last  reported  on  7 April.  Single 
Red  (Grey)  Phalaropes  P.  fulicarius 
were  reported  from  Wembley  Dam, 
Greytown,  KwaZulu-Natal,  on  17 
January  (RH),  Eston,  KwaZulu- 
Natal,  on  12  February  (CQ,  Tswalu 
Kalahari  Reserve,  Northern  Cape,  on 
15  February  (GvD),  and  Bushman’s 
Kloof  Wilderness  Reserve,  Western 
Cape,  on  21-27  February  (KJ). 

A Franklin’s  Gull  Larus  pipixcan, 
frequenting  the  Durban  Bay  area, 
KwaZulu-Natal,  on  18  January  (DA), 
was  last  sighted  on  9 February; 
another  was  at  Strandfontein  Sewage 
Works,  Western  Cape,  from  5 April 
(OS)  until  9th  at  least.  A Black- 
headed Gull  L.  ridibundus  in  breed- 
ing plumage  remained  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Rooi-Els  Rver,  Western  Cape, 
from  8 February  (ES)  until  6 April. 
Southern  Africa’s  1 9th  Gull-billed 
Tern  Gelochelidon  nilotica  was  at  the 
Kromme  Rvier  estuary,  St  Francis 
Bay,  Eastern  Cape,  from  25  February 
(GDa)  until  7 April;  another  found 
at  Voelvlei  near  Bredasdorp,  Western 
Cape,  on  10  March  (KSh)  was  still 
present  on  1 0 April.  The  Bridled 
Tern  Sterna  anaethetus  at  Cape 
Recife,  Port  Elisabeth,  Eastern  Cape, 
returned  for  its  fifth  successive  year 
to  this  site,  on  27  May  (CPo).  A 
Sooty  Tern  S.  fuscata  was  at  Umgeni 
Rver  in  Durban,  KwaZulu-Natal,  on 
30  January  (JAI). 

A juvenile  Thick-billed  Cuckoo 
Pachycoccyx  audeberti  was  observed  at 
Kube  Yini  Private  Game  Reserve, 
KwaZulu-Natal,  on  28  May;  there 
are  fewer  than  ten  records  from  the 


Recent  Reports 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) -189 


province  ( DCy ).  Southern  Africa’s 
first  sight  record  of  Pallid  Swift  Apus 
pallidus  was  reported  from  West 
Coast  National  Park  on  6 February 
(77/,  MGi,  J & GG);  fortunately  the 
bird  was  photographed.  The  only 
previous  record  for  the  region  is  a 
specimen  collected  at  Kuruman, 
Northern  Cape,  on  12  February 
1904.  The  Grey  Wagtail  Motacilla 
cinerea  present  at  Debengeni  Falls  in 
Magoebaskloof  in  December 
2003-February  2004  returned  on  9 
January  (MJ)  and  was  last  reported 
on  12  March;  another  was  at 
Richards  Bay,  KwaZulu-Natal,  from 
30  March  {AH)  until  5 April  (per 
77/). 

Tanzania 

Records  from  August  2004-March 
2003  include  the  following.  An 
immature  Black  Stork  Ciconia  nigra 
and  ten  Eurasian  Wigeon  Anas  pene- 
lope  were  seen  in  Lake  Manyara  NP 
(=National  Park)  on  24  November.  A 
possible  Levant  Sparrowhawk 
Accipiter  brevipes  was  in  Arusha  NP 
on  1 March:  this  is  perhaps  the  sec- 
ond record  for  Tanzania  {PN).  In 
Serengeti  NP,  an  adult  Lesser  Spotted 
Eagle  Aquila  pomarina  was  seen  on 
27  November  and  a Common 
Redshank  Tringa  totanus  in 
Ngorongoro  NP  next  day  {DR).  A 
Temminck’s  Stint  Calidris  temminckii 
was  at  Lake  Manyara  in  March  {PN). 
In  January  reports  were  received  from 
four  localities  of  Lesser  Noddies 
Anous  tenuirostris  along  the  coast, 
including  a flock  of  84  off  Saadani 
NP  and  a single  along  the  Rufiji 
River  just  downstream  of  Selous 
Game  Reserve  on  17th  {GMF  & AS: 
Fig.  3);  these  are  the  first  records  for 
Tanzania  but  it  has  occurred  off  the 
Kenyan  coast. 

In  August  2004  hundreds,  possi- 
bly thousands,  of  Banded  Martins 
Riparia  cincta , were  seen  over  the  dry 
Wembere  Steppe  east  of  the  river  in 
grassland  gradually  being  flattened  by 
cattle;  very  little  is  known  concerning 
the  movements  and  breeding  season 
of  this  species.  During  the  January 
2005  waterbird  count  of  the  Usangu 
flats  hundreds  of  Grey-rumped 
Swallows  Pseudbirundo  griseopyga 


were  seen  feeding  over  grassland  at 
the  water’s  edge;  if  numbers  were 
similar  elsewhere  along  the  shoreline 
of  this  huge  swamp  several  thousand 
would  have  been  in  the  area.  More 
reports  have  been  received  of  Blue 
Swallows  Hirundo  atrocaerulea  breed- 
ing in  association  with  habitation  and 
in  November  a pair  was  found  nest- 
prospecting under  a small  bridge  near 
Lupembe  at  only  1,540  m,  which  is 
very  low  for  this  species.  In 
September  2004  at  least  12  Pearl- 
breasted Swallows  H.  dimidiata  were 
seen  on  the  Isunkavyola  Plateau  in 
Ruaha  NP,  where  a population  was 
discovered  in  November  2003;  there 
have  been  only  two  records  in  the  last 
25  years  both  close  to  the  Mala?i  and 
Zambian  borders  that  were  presumed 
nominate  cold-season  migrants,  and 
it  is  tempting  to  speculate  that  the 
birds  on  the  Isunkavyola  Plateau  are 
of  the  subspecies  marwitzi  and  resi- 
dent. Eleven  White-throated 
Swallows  H.  albigularis  were  found 
on  the  Manonga  River,  north-central 
Tanzania,  on  20  August  2004;  this  is 
a rare  cold-season  migrant  from 
southern  Africa  at  the  northern  edge 
of  its  wintering  range,  with  only  a 
few  previous  records  in  Tanzania. 

Two  Angola  Swallows  H.  angolensis 
at  a bridge  on  the  Mfuji  River,  in  the 
Kilombero  Valley,  at  only  580  m,  in 
November  2004,  were  possibly  nest- 
prospecting, and  a surprising  find  as 
this  is  essentially  a highland  species  in 
eastern  Tanzania  with  a population 
associated  with  the  Eastern  Arc 
Mountains.  A large  roost  of  more 
than  100,000  Barn  Swallows  H.  rus- 
tica  was  found  along  the  Pangani 
River,  in  northern  Tanzania,  in  late 
2004  (7174  per  N & LB)-,  in  early 
December  another  roost  was  found 
on  the  northern  edge  of  Iringa  town 
{{N  & LB). 

In  Serengeti  NP,  a Cyprus 
Wheatear  Oenanthe  cypriaca  was 
identified  at  Michael  Grzimek  Way 
on  27  November  {DR).  A Shelley’s 
Starling  Lamprotornis  shelleyi  was 
seen  just  outside  the  Mkomasi  Game 
Reserve  in  March  {PN). 

Records  from  north  of  Pingwe, 
Zanzibar  (Unguja),  in  December 
2004  include  30  Common  Swifts 


Apus  apus  on  6th  and  two  on  9th, 
two  pairs  of  Chestnut-backed 
Sparrow  Larks  Eremopterix  leucotis  on 
6- 12th  (first  record  for  Zanzibar?),  a 
female  Northern  Wheatear  Oenanthe 
oenanthe  on  5 — 6th,  a Sedge  Warbler 
Acrocephalus  schoenobaenus  on  6th,  a 
male  Red-backed  Shrike  Lanius  collu- 
rio  on  3rd-l4th,  with  1-3  immatures 
on  10- 13th  and  two  females  on 
1 3th,  and  two  African  Golden 
Orioles  Oriolus  auratus  on  13th 
{DR). 

Tunisia 

In  December  2004-May  2005  the 
following  records  were  received. 
Sixty-one  Ruddy  Shelducks  Tadorna 
ferruginea  were  counted  at  a lake  near 
Douz  on  1 1 December  (per  Birding 
World  17:  498),  3,200  Marbled 
Ducks  Marmaronetta  angustirostris  in 
the  same  area  on  9 December,  whilst 
30  White-headed  Ducks  Oxyura  leu- 
cocephala  were  still  at  Barrage  Sidi 
Jdid  in  early  December  (per  Dutch 
Birding  27 : 56-67).  A Northern 
Goshawk  Accipiter  gentilis  was  dis- 
playing above  oak  forests  of  Beni 
M’tir,  Jendouba,  in  the  north-west, 
on  3 May,  and  an  immature  Greater 
Spotted  Eagle  Aquila  clanga  passed 
Cap  Bon  on  2 May;  there  are  few 
records  of  either  species  in  Tunisia 
(per  Dutch  Birding  27:  213).  On 
20-22  January,  an  exceptional 
c.  1,000  Temminck’s  Horned  Larks 
Eremophila  bilopha  were  seen  along 
the  Bir  Sultana  Road  (per  Birding 
World  18:  60),  and  c.70  Desert 
Sparrows  Passer  simplex  were 
observed  at  Ksar  Ghilane  on  10-11 
December  (per  Dutch  Birding  27: 
56-67). 

Uganda 

The  small  breeding  population  of 
Northern  Masked  Weavers  Ploceus 
taeniopterus  reported  from  the  shores 
of  Lake  Bunyoni  in  Bull.  ABC  12:  73 
are  in  fact  ‘ Ploceus  victoriae  (Victoria 
Masked  Weavers,  or  Entebbe 
Weavers),  described  by  John  Ash  in 
1986;  this  form  is  now  suspected  to 
be  a hybrid  between  Northern 
Brown-throated  7?  castanops  and 
Yellow-backed  P.  melanocephalus  or 


190 -Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005) 


Recent  Reports 


Golden-backed  Weavers  P.  jacksoni 
(cf.  Birds  of  Africa  2004). 

A visit  to  Semliki  National  Park  in 
early-March  2005  yielded  Chapin’s 
Flycatcher  Muscicapa  lendu , appar- 
endy  the  first  record  here,  and 
Orange-cheeked  Waxbill  Estrilda 
melpoda.  At  Lake  Mburo,  a display- 
ing Thick-billed  Cuckoo  Pachycoccyx 
audeberti  was  seen  on  24  March;  this 
is  the  second  or  third  record  for 
Uganda  (HBy). 

Zambia 

In  December  2004,  a Spotted  Crake 
Porzana  porzana  was  flushed  at 
Nkanga  conservation  area  on  17th. 
The  sighting  of  a male  Oustalet’s 
Sunbird  Cinnyris  oustaleti  on 
Ntumbachushi  Hill  appears  to  be  a 
slight  range  extension  for  this  species 
(NB). 

In  2005,  at  least  4,000  (and  per- 
haps up  to  10,000)  Amur  Falcons 
Falco  amurensis  descended  to  roost  in 
a gum  tree  in  the  middle  of  Choma 
on  26  March.  A Chestnut-headed 
(Long-toed)  Flufftail  Sarothrura 
lugens  was  calling  at  Mutinondo,  but 
defied  observation  despite  eight  peo- 
ple intensively  searching  right  next  to 
it.  Papyrus  Yellow  Warbler 
Chloropeta  gracilirostris  proved  easy  to 
see  at  Mununshi,  25  km  south  of 
Kawambwa,  in  January.  Although  an 
indigobird  Vidua  sp.  at  Maluka, 
Katombora,  along  the  Zambezi  60 
km  west  of  Livingstone,  has  been 
declared  a Village  Indigobird  V chaly- 
beata  on  genetic  evidence,  it  was 
mimicking  Brown  Firefinch 
Lagonosticta  nitidula , as  did  its  male 
parent,  who  was  ringed  in  the  same 
tree  in  2000,  and  not  Red-billed 
Firefinch  L.  senegala — could  it  be  a 
new  species  in  the  making?  (RSt) . 

Zimbabwe 

On  2 January  2005,  Zimbabwe’s  sec- 
ond Basra  Reed  Warbler  Acrocephalus 
griseldis  was  found  at  Victoria  Falls 
(IS);  previous  confirmed  records  from 
elsewhere  in  southern  Africa  include 
three  from  South  Africa,  two  from 
Mozambique  and  one  from 
Botswana.  Also  in  January,  a male 
Collared  Flycatcher  Ficedula  albicollis 


was  present  at  Mutare  Heights  for  the 
second  year  running;  in  2004  the 
bird  remained  until  mid  February  at 
least  ( CBe ). 

Records  were  collated  by  Ron  Demey 
from  contributions  supplied  by  Matt 
Aeberhard  (MA),  Ademola  Ajagbe 
(AA),  Ofere  Agbor  (OA),  David  Allan 

(DA) ,  Mark  Anderson  (MAn),  Tony 
Archer  (TA),  Neil  and  Liz  Baker  (N  & 
LB),  Clive  Barlow  ( CBa),  Carl  Beel 

( CBe),  Lyn  de  Beer  (LdB),  Arnoud 
van  den  Berg  (AvdB),  Mark  Boorman 
(MB),  Nik  Borrow IBirdquest  (NB), 
John  Bradshaw  (JB),  Dave  Brewer 

(DB) ,  Chris  Brewster  ( CB),  Henry 
Brousmiche  (HB),  Michael  Buckham 
(MBu),  Herbert  Byaruhanga  (HBy), 
Hamish  Campbell  (HC),  Clint 
Carbutt  ( CC),  David  Chamberlain 

(DC) ,  Margot  Chamberlain  (MC), 
Murray  Christian  (MCh),  Philip 
Coetzee  (PC),  Wimpie  Coetzer  (WC), 
Mohamed  Balia  Moussa  Conde  (MCo), 
Alvin  Cope  (AC),  Flick  Cope  (FC), 
Mary  Crickmore  (MCr),  Richard  Cruse 
(RC),  Digby  Cyrus  (DCy),  Gregg 
Darling  ( GDa),  Dave  Deighton  (DD), 
Daryl  Dell  (DDe),  Ron  Demey  (RD), 
Kris  De  Rouck  (KD),  Robert  J. 

Dowsett  (RJD),  Frangoise  Dowsett- 
Lemaire  (FD-L),  Gary  Douglas  ( GD), 
Hugues  Dufourny  (HD),  Gus  van  Dyk 
(GvD),  Stephen  Eccles  (SE),  Chris 
Engelhardt  ( CE),  Jim  Eva  (JE), 

Lincoln  Fishpool  (LF),  G.  M.  Flieg 

( GMF),  Erik  Forsyth/Rockjumper 
Birding  Tours  (EF),  Lan  Foulis  (IF), 
Paul  Funston  (PF),  Mary  Gartshore 
(MG),  Margaret  Gibbs  (MGi),  Tertius 
Gous  (TG),  John  & Greta  Graham  (J 
& GG),  Beatrice  & Luc  Greiner  (B  & 
LG),  Andrew  Grieve  (AG),  Joe  Grosel 

(JG) ,  Gaetan  Guedon  (GG),  Carlos 
Gutierrez  ( CG),  Adrian  Haagner 
(AH),  Phil  Hall  (PH),  Tomas 
Haraldsson  (THa),  Trevor  Hardaker 
(TH),  Roy  Harris  (RH),  Karen  Hartog 
(KH),  Andrew  Hester  (AH),  John  High 

(JH) ,  Christian  Hjort  ( CH),  David 
Hoddinott  (DHo),  Richard  Hurt 
(RHu),  Lnaoyon  Lmong  (II),  John  Isom 

(JI) ,  Colin  Jackson  ( CJ),  Shirley  Jex 
(SJ),  Michael  Johnson  (MJ),  Kevin 
Jolijfe  (KJ),  Phil  Jones  (PJ),  Guy 


Kirwan,  ( GMK),  Dawie  & Sarieta 
Kleynhans  (D&SK),  Ann  Koeslag 
(AK),  Sylvia  Ledgard  (SL),  Guilhem 
Lesajfre  (GL),  WilLeurs  (WL),  Tasso 
Leventis  (TL),  Alan  Martin  (AM), 
Moses  Massah  (MMa),  Duncan 
McKenzie  (DMc),  Martim  Melo 
(MMe),  Steve  Mills  (SM),  John  Miskell 

(JM) ,  Richard  Montinaro  (RM),  Jane 
Morris  (JMo),  Ben  van  Muyen  (BvM), 
Peter  Nilsson  (PN),  Jenny  Norman 

(JN) ,  Rick  Nuttall  (RN),  Mike 
ODonoghue  (MO),  Craig  Pearman 

( CP),  Pedro  Pinto  (PP),  Clyde  Porter 
(CPo),  William  Price  (WP),  Hugo 
Rainey  (HR),  Michael  Raum  (MR), 
Morne  de  la  Rey  (MdlR),  Adam 
Riley/Rockjumper  Birding  Tours  (AR), 
Detlef  Robel  (DR),  Steve 
Rooke/Sunbird  (SR),  Barrie  Rose  (BR), 
Mike  Roseblade  (MRo),  Rob  de  Rover 
(RdR),  Kev  Roy  (KR),  Stephen  Rumsey 
(SRu),  Alan  Sander  (AS),  Otto 
Schmidt  ( OS),  Andrew  Schofield 
(ASc),  David  Shackelford  (DS),  Kevin 
Shaw  (KSh),  Ian  Sinclair  (IS),  Roger 
Skeen  (RS),  Adrian  Skerrett  (ASk), 
Edward  Smith  (ES),  Kadiatou  Soumah 
(KSo),  Andrew  Stainthorpe  (ASt), 
Brandon  Stainthorpe  (BS),  Klemens 
Steiof(KS),  R.  Stjernstedt  (RSt),  Rita 
Swinnen  (RSw),  Per  Ole  Syvertsen 
(PoS),  Jill  Thomas  (JT),  Ruthette  & 
Jan  du  Toit  (R  & JdT),  Mel  Tripp 
(MT),  Stephanie  Tyler  (ST),  Hannes 
Uhlig  (HU),  Colin  Valentine  (CV), 
Brian  Vanderwalt  (BV),  Simon  Vegter 
(SV),  Sarah  Venter  (SVe),  Randy 
Vernon  (RM),  Nigel  Voaden  (NV),  Jaap 
van  der  Waarde  (JvdW),  Buks  van  der 
Walt  (BvdW),  Keith  Warne  (KW), 
Barry  Watkins  (BW),  Edwin  Winkel 
(EW),  Dave  Winter  (DW),  Phil 
Whittington  (PW),  Kim  Wright  (KW) 
and  from  Birding  World,  Birdwatch, 
capebirdnet,  Dutch  Birding, 
SARareBirdAlert  and 
www.zestforbirds.co.za. 

Contributions  for  Recent  Reports  can  be 
sent  to  Ron  Demey,  Van  der  Heimstraat 
52,  2582  SB  Den  Haag,  Netherlands 
and  also  by  e-mail: 
rondemey@compuserve.  com. 


Recent  Reports 


Bull  ABC  Vol  12  No  2 (2005)  - 191 


Birding 
Africa 


Contact  us  to  begin  planning 
your  African  birding  experience  ...  | 

The  Africa  Specialists  Email  f, 

TeS:  +27  83  256  0491 

Visit  us  at  the  British  Birdwatching  Fair  in  Marquee  3 

• Mali:  birding  Timbuktu  and  Dogon  country  Jan  oe,  Feb  07 

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The  ABC  welcomes  original  contributions  on 
all  aspects  of  the  birds  of  Africa,  here  defined 
as  the  area  covered  by  Collar,  N.J.  and  Stuart, 
S.N.  1985.  Threatened  Birds  of  Africa  and 
Related  Islands:  The  ICBP/IUCN  Red  Data 
Book.  Cambridge,  UK:  International  Council 
for  Bird  Preservation,  namely  continental 
Africa,  Indian  Ocean  islands  west  of  80°E,  e.g. 
Madagascar,  the  Mascarene  Islands  and 
Socotra;  Atlantic  Ocean  islands  on  or  east  of 
the  mid-Atlantic  ridge,  e.g.  the  Tristan  da 
Cunha  group,  the  Azores  and  the  Canaries. 

Contributions  will  be  accepted  subject 
to  editing  and  refereeing  by  independent 
reviewers,  where  appropriate.  The  Editorial 
Team  will  be  happy  to  advise  authors  on  the 
acceptability  of  material  at  draft  stage  if 
desired. 

Submissions 

Two  hard  (printed)  copies  should  be  sent 
unless  submitting  by  e-mail  (preferred)  to  the 
editors  address  on  the  inside  front  cover. 
Typewritten  manuscripts  should  be  double- 
spaced, on  one  side  of  the  paper  only,  with 
wide  margins  all  round.  All  submissions  are 
acknowledged. 

Contributions  are  accepted  in  English  or 
French:  French  summaries  are  required  for  all 


Notes  for  Contributors 

papers  published  in  English,  and  vice  versa. 
Those  submitting  papers  should  supply  a 
summary  for  translation  into  English,  or 
French,  as  appropriate. 

If  you  submit  your  contribution  on  CD 
or  floppy  disk,  please  state  computer  (e.g. 
IBM  compatible  PC,  Macintosh)  and  word- 
processing package  (e.g.  Word,  WordPerfect) 
used. 

When  sending  your  contribution  on 
disk,  please  do  not  key  anything  in  ALL 
CAPS  (i.e.  with  the  CAPS  LOCK  key 
depressed)  unless  the  combination  always 
occurs  in  that  form  (e.g.  ‘USA’).  Do  not  use 
the  carriage  return  key  at  the  end  of  lines,  and 
do  not  right  justify  the  margins.  When  for- 
matting tables  use  one  tab,  and  not  spaces, 
between  each  column.  Unless  a sketch  map  is 
provided  as  part  of  the  article,  the  names  of 
places  should  follow  those  on  standard  or 
readily  available  maps  (preferably  a recent  edi- 
tion of  The  Times  Atlas  of  the  World). 

Preferred  names 

Given  the  current  instability  over  worldwide 
lists  of  bird  names,  authors  are  requested  to 
follow  those  used  in  The  Birds  of  Africa  Vols. 
1-7.  The  African  Bird  Club  has  recently  pub- 
lished (www.africanbirdclub.org/resources/ 


checklist.html)  a checklist  of  birds  in  its 
region.  This  is  based  on  Birds  of  Africa  but 
incorporates  more  recent  revisions  where 
appropriate.  It  includes  preferred  scientific, 
English  and  French  names,  as  well  as  races 
and  alternatives  used  by  publications  widely 
used  in  Africa.  For  bird  names  this  list  should 
be  used  or  at  least  the  preferred  name  used 
there  should  be  given  as  an  alternative.  For 
non-Birds  of  Africa  species  (e.g.  from  the 
Malagasy  region)  use  Dowsett  & Forbes- 
Watson  (1993).  Deviation  from  such  works 
should  be  noted  and  the  reasons  given.  The 
Editorial  Team  will  keep  abreast  of  changes  in 
nomenclature  and  when  an  agreed  list  of 
African  names  is  available,  will  consider 
switching  to  follow  it. 

Style 

Authors  are  requested  to  follow  conventions 
used  in  The  Bulletin  of  the  African  Bird  Club 
and  to  refer  to  a recent  issue  for  guidance.  A 
detailed  style  guide  can  be  obtained,  either 
electronically  or  as  a hard  copy,  on  request 
from  the  Managing  Editor. 


Design  &C  initial  layout  by  Alcedo  Publishing,  Pennsylvania,  USA  • email  engli@mailsnare.net 
Colour  repro  &C  print  production  by  Crowes  of  Norwich,  UK  • tel  +44  (0)1603  403-349  • email  graphics@crowes.co.uk 


Angola:  Pedro  de  Franca  Doria  vaz  Pinto,  Rua  Helder 
Neto  12,  7°A;  Luanda.  E-mail:  pypinto@clix.pt. 
Australia:  K.  David  Bishop,  PO  Box  6068, 
Kincumber,  NSW  2251.  E-mail: 
kdbishop@ozemail.au.com. 

Austria:  Graham  Tebb,  Waaggasse  2/39,  A- 1040 
Vienna.  E-mail:  tebb@fwf.ac.at. 

Belgium:  Jan  Goossens,  Vruntebaan  18,  2520 
Emblem.  Tel/fax:  +32  3 488  13  71.  E-mail: 
jan.goossens5@pandora.be. 

Botswana:  Chris  Brewster,  PO  Box  2316,  Gaborone. 
E-mail:  cbrewster@botsnet.bw. 

Canada:  Antonio  Salvadori,  17  Colborn  Street, 
Guelph,  Ontario.  NIG  2M4.  E-mail: 
rosella@snowhite.cis.uoguelph.ca. 

Canary  Islands/Spain:  Tony  Clarke  C / Republica 
Dominicana  No.  61,  Barrio  de  Fatima,  38500 
Giiimar,  Tenerife.  E-mail:  clark@arrakis.es. 

Denmark:  Uffe  Gjol  Sorensen,  Ovengaden  Oven 
Vandet  68,2,  1415  Copenhagen.  E-mail: 
ugs@post7.tele.dk. 

Democratic  Republic  of  Congo:  Byamana  Robert 
Kizungu,  Head  of  Ornithology  Laboratory,  CRSN- 
Lwiro,  DRC,  BP02  Cyangugu,  Rwanda.  E-mail: 
kbyamana@yahoo.com 

Egypt:  Sherif  & Mindy  Baha  El  Din,  2 Abdalla  El 
Katib  St.  Apt.  3,  Dokki,  Cairo.  Tel/Fax:  3608160. 
E-mail:  baha@internetegypt.com. 

France:  Bob  & Fran^oise  Dowsett,  Le  Pouget, 
Sumene,  F30440.  E-mail:  Dowsen@aol.com. 
Finland:  Annika  Forsten,  Messenniusgatan  1 1 B 54, 
00250  Helsingfors,  Finland.  E-mail: 
annika.forsten@intrum.com. 

The  Gambia:  Solomon  Jallow,  cl o WABSA, 
Department  of  Parks  & Wildlife,  Management  HQ, 
Abuko  Nature  Reserve,  Abuko,  PMB  67 6 S/K.  E- 
mail:  habitatafrica@hotmail.com. 

Ghana:  Samuel  Kofi  Nyame,  PO  Box  KIA  30284, 
Airport,  Accra.  E-mail:  sknyame@snvghana.org. 
Italy.  Giuseppe  Micali,  Via  Volterra  3,  Milano,  MI  1- 
20146.  E-mail:  xeaym@tin.it. 

Kenya:  Colin  Jackson,  PO  Box  383,  Watamu.  E- 
mail:  colin.jackson@bigfoot.com. 

Supported  and  Affiliated 
Membership 

The  Supporting  Members  scheme  is  a key  part 
of  the  Club’s  strategy  of  encouraging  the  spread 
of  knowledge  and  understanding  of  birds  as 
widely  as  possible  throughout  Africa.  The 
scheme  enables  Africans  who  would  not  other- 
wise have  the  resources  to  join,  to  become 
members  of  the  Club.  The  scheme  is  funded  by 
Supporting  Members  who  pay  a minimum  of 
UK£30  to  cover  their  own  membership  and  the 
subscription  of  at  least  one  African  member. 

The  money  they  contribute  over  and  above 
their  own  subscription  is  placed  in  a special 
fund  that  is  used  to  cover  the  membership 
expenses  of  African  members  whom  they  may 
have  nominated,  or  who  have  been  nominated 
by  other  Club  members. 

Although  we  have  suggested  a minimum 
of  UK£30  to  become  a Supporting  Member, 
any  contribution  is  welcome.  All  members  of 
the  Club,  even  if  they  do  not  feel  able  to 
become  Supporting  Members  themselves,  are 
invited  to  nominate  candidates  for  supported 
memberships.  Candidates  should  be  nationals 
of  an  African  country,  with  a genuine  interest  in 
wild  birds  but  without  the  resources  to  become 
members  in  their  own  right.  Africans  who  think 
they  may  qualify  are  very  welcome  to  put  their 


ABC  Representatives 

Liberia:  Moses  A.  Massah,  Society  for  the 
Conservation  of  Nature  of  Liberia,  Monrovia  Zoo, 
PO  Box  2628,  Monrovia.  E-mail: 
mosesmassah@yahoo.com. 

Madagascar:  Julien  Ramanampamonjy,  Section 
Oiseaux,  PBZT,  BP  4096,  101  Antananarivo.  E- 
mail:  julien_asity@freenet.mg  (mark  FAO:  Julien 
Ramanampamonjy). 

Morocco:  Jacques  Franchimont,  Dept.  Biologie 
Faculte  des  Sciences  de  Meknes,  B P 4010,  Beni 
M’Hamed  50003,  Meknes.  E-mail: 
j .ffanchimont@extra.net.ma. 

Namibia:  Tim  Osborne,  PO  Box  22,  Okaukuejo,  vis 
Outjo  9000.  E-mail:  kori@iafrica.com.na. 

Netherlands:  Ron  Demey,  Van  der  Heimstraat  52, 
2582  SB  Den  Haag,  Netherlands.  E-mail: 
rondemey@compuserve.com. 

Nigeria:  Vincent  Chikwendu  Ejere,  Dept,  of 
Zoology,  University  of  Nigeria,  Nsukka.  E-mail: 
misunn@aol.com. 

Sao  Tome  & Principe:  Angus  Gascoigne,  CP  289, 
Sao  Tome.  E-mail:  angus@cstome.net. 

Seychelles:  Adrian  Skerrett,  Shipping  House,  PO  Box 
336,  Victoria,  Mahe.  Fax:  380538.  E-mail: 
maheship@seychelles.net  or 
adrian@skerrett.fenet.co.uk 

South  Africa:  Steven  Evans,  89  Republic  Road, 
Ferndale.  E-mail:  stevene@ewt.org.za. 

Swaziland:  Dr  Aa  Monadjem,  UNISWA,  P/Bag  4, 
Kwaluseni.  E-mail:  ara@Uniswacc.uniswa.sz. 

Tanzania:  Maurus  Msuha,  Tanzania  Wildlife 
Research  Institute,  PO  Box  661,  Arusha.  E-mail: 
carnivores@habari.co.tz. 

Uganda:  Prof.  Derek  Pomeroy,  Makerere  University 
Institute  of  the  Environment  and  Natural  Resources, 
PO  Box  7298,  Kampala.  E-mail:  derek@imul.com. 

Zimbabwe:  The  Executive  Officer,  BirdLife 
Zimbabwe,  PO  Box  RVIOO,  Runiville,  Harare.  E- 
mail:  birds@zol.co.zw. 

The  ABC  Representatives  scheme  aims  to  support 

existing  members  by  providing  a local  point  of 

contact  in  their  region,  for  example,  to  answer  queries 


own  names  forward,  supported  by  a letter  of 
recommendation  from  someone  such  as  their 
employer,  teacher  or  an  officeholder  in  a local 
wildlife  organisation. 

The  scheme  now  also  includes  clubs  who 
wish  to  be  affiliated  with  the  African  Bird  Club 
in  African  countries  where  it  is  difficult  for  local 
individuals  to  become  members  in  their  own 
right.  Clubs  accepted  for  membership  under  the 
scheme  receive  up  to  six  copies  of  each  issue  of 
the  bulletin  for  circulation  among  their  mem- 
bers. Instead  of  paying  a membership  fee,  Clubs 
are  asked  to  provide  a short  annual  report  on 
their  activities  that  may  be  published  in  the  bul- 
letin. Clubs  interested  in  becoming  Affiliated 
Member  Clubs  are  invited  to  apply  to  the  ABC 
Secretary  giving  details  of  their  membership, 
their  constitution  or  a statement  of  their  objec- 
tives and  conditions  of  their  membership,  and 
their  activities  to  date. 

ABC  Information  Service 

ABC  offers  a service  to  help  members  with 
information  requests.  Perhaps  you  are  planning 
a trip  to  Africa  and  need  local  advice,  or  maybe 
you  are  in  search  of  an  obscure  fact  about  an 
African  species.  The  Club  does  not  guarantee  to 
find  all  the  answers  but  will  try  to  help.  The 
service  is  free  to  ABC  members.  Contact:  Keith 


to  the  Club,  to  solicit  submissions  for  the  bulletin, 
and  possibly  to  arrange  local  meetings  for  members. 
Existing  ABC  members  can  contact  their  local 
Representative  in  the  first  instance  with  queries 
relating  to  the  Club.  ABC  Representatives  help  to 
recruit  new  members  in  their  region,  for  example,  by 
distributing  posters  and  arranging  local  advertising. 

In  Africa,  ABC  Representatives  help  to  identify 
opportunities  to  invest  the  ABC  Conservation  Fund 
and  candidates  for  the  Supported  Membership 
scheme. 

The  Club  aims  to  appoint  many  further  ABC 
Representatives.  If  you  are  interested  in  supporting 
and  promoting  the  Club  in  your  region,  have  any 
queries,  or  require  further  information  relating  to  the 
ABC  Representatives  scheme  please  do  not  hesitate  to 
contact  the  Membership  Secretary  at  the  Club 
address,  e-mail  membership@africanbirdclub.org. 

ABC  is  seeking  Country  Representatives  in  the 
following  countries  within  the  Club’s  region:  Ageria, 
Ascension,  Azores,  Benin,  Burkina  Faso,  Burundi, 
Cameroon,  Cape  Verde  Islands,  Central  African 
Republic,  Chad,  Comoros  & Mayotte,  Cote  d’Ivoire, 
Djibouti,  Equatorial  Guinea,  Eritrea,  Ethiopia, 
Gabon,  Guinea-Bissau,  Guinea  Conakry,  Libya, 
Madeira,  Malawi,  Mali,  Mauritania,  Mauritius, 
Mozambique,  Namibia,  Niger,  Reunion,  Rodriguez, 
Rwanda,  Senegal,  Sierra  Leone,  Socotra,  Somalia,  St 
Helena,  Sudan,  Togo,  Tristan  da  Cunha,  Tunisia, 

USA  and  Zambia. 


Betton,  who  is  also  custodian  of  ABC’s  journal 
library,  at  8 Dukes  Close,  Folly  Hill,  Farnham, 
Surrey,  GU9  ODR,  UK.  Tel:  +44  1252  724068. 
Fax:  +44  171  637  5626.  E-mail:  info@african- 
birdclub.org. 

AfricanBirding 
e-mail  discussion  list 

Launched,  in  October  2000,  by  the  ABC  and 
the  Pan-African  Ornithological  Congress, 
AfricanBirding  or  AB,  as  it  is  known,  has 
become  a useful  forum  for  those  interested  in 
African  birds.  To  join  the  discussion,  which 
averages  1—2  messages  a day,  send  a blank  e- 
mail  to  AfricanBirding-subscribe@egroups.com. 
You  will  then  receive  an  email  instructing  you 
how  to  join. 

The  Club  also  maintains  a list  of  members’ 
e-mail  addresses.  This  list  is  confidential  and 
used  only  for  Club  purposes,  e.g.  for  informing 
members  of  upcoming  events  and  news  concern- 
ing the  Club.  It  is  not  divulged  to  anybody  out- 
side the  Club  or  used  for  commercial  advertis- 
ing. At  present  it  includes  addresses  for  about 
50%  of  the  membership.  Please  send  any  addi- 
tions or  amendments  to  the  membership  secre- 
tary: membership@africanbirdclub.org. 


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